U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAssist faculty or other instructional staff in postsecondary institutions by performing teaching or teaching-related duties, such as teaching lower level courses, developing teaching materials, preparing and giving examinations, and grading examinations or papers. Graduate teaching assistants must be enrolled in a graduate school program. Graduate assistants who primarily perform non-teaching duties, such as research, should be reported in the occupational category related to the work performed. Excludes "Teacher Assistants" (25-9041).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Mean wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120,160 | 3.0 % | (4) | $33,030 | 2.1 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Wage (2) | $17,490 | $19,500 | $31,270 | $42,050 | $54,480 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 117,260 | 4.04 | (4) | $32,900 |
| Junior Colleges | 2,040 | 0.27 | (4) | $37,160 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | 120 | 0.08 | (4) | $30,300 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 117,260 | 4.04 | (4) | $32,900 |
| Junior Colleges | 2,040 | 0.27 | (4) | $37,160 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | 120 | 0.08 | (4) | $30,300 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Colleges | 2,040 | 0.27 | (4) | $37,160 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 117,260 | 4.04 | (4) | $32,900 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | 120 | 0.08 | (4) | $30,300 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 16,970 | 1.60 | 1.74 | (4) | $34,240 |
| Michigan | 9,800 | 2.50 | 2.71 | (4) | $36,220 |
| Illinois | 8,800 | 1.56 | 1.69 | (4) | $26,910 |
| Georgia | 8,430 | 2.21 | 2.39 | (4) | $19,370 |
| California | 7,640 | 0.53 | 0.58 | (4) | $43,210 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 5,690 | 3.54 | 3.83 | (4) | $35,520 |
| Hawaii | 1,600 | 2.73 | 2.96 | (4) | $30,480 |
| Michigan | 9,800 | 2.50 | 2.71 | (4) | $36,220 |
| New Mexico | 1,920 | 2.48 | 2.69 | (4) | $31,610 |
| West Virginia | 1,650 | 2.32 | 2.52 | (4) | $18,850 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 1,220 | 0.68 | 0.74 | (4) | $45,090 |
| Minnesota | 1,260 | 0.48 | 0.52 | (4) | $43,980 |
| Kentucky | 590 | 0.34 | 0.36 | (4) | $43,890 |
| California | 7,640 | 0.53 | 0.58 | (4) | $43,210 |
| Massachusetts | 2,460 | 0.77 | 0.83 | (4) | $41,610 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 5,210 | 1.97 | 2.14 | (4) | $37,910 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 4,860 | 5.98 | 6.48 | (4) | $37,380 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 3,310 | 1.41 | 1.53 | (4) | $41,090 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 2,650 | 0.68 | 0.74 | (4) | $43,470 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 2,180 | 23.45 | 25.43 | (4) | $36,980 |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division | 1,580 | 2.27 | 2.46 | (4) | $43,790 |
| Baltimore-Towson, MD | 1,570 | 1.25 | 1.35 | (4) | $30,490 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 1,400 | 0.82 | 0.89 | (4) | $44,320 |
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 1,330 | 0.26 | 0.28 | (4) | $35,560 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA | 1,120 | 0.89 | 0.96 | (4) | $29,940 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 2,180 | 23.45 | 25.43 | (4) | $36,980 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 4,860 | 5.98 | 6.48 | (4) | $37,380 |
| Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC | 770 | 2.58 | 2.79 | (4) | $57,980 |
| Lafayette, IN | 210 | 2.42 | 2.62 | (4) | $36,740 |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division | 1,580 | 2.27 | 2.46 | (4) | $43,790 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 5,210 | 1.97 | 2.14 | (4) | $37,910 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 3,310 | 1.41 | 1.53 | (4) | $41,090 |
| Richmond, VA | 830 | 1.39 | 1.51 | (4) | $19,320 |
| Baltimore-Towson, MD | 1,570 | 1.25 | 1.35 | (4) | $30,490 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 950 | 1.18 | 1.28 | (4) | $28,180 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC | 770 | 2.58 | 2.79 | (4) | $57,980 |
| Jackson, MS | 140 | 0.57 | 0.62 | (4) | $50,850 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 650 | 0.37 | 0.40 | (4) | $50,220 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 170 | 0.41 | 0.44 | (4) | $45,470 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 1,400 | 0.82 | 0.89 | (4) | $44,320 |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division | 1,580 | 2.27 | 2.46 | (4) | $43,790 |
| Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | (4) | $43,680 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 2,650 | 0.68 | 0.74 | (4) | $43,470 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 70 | 0.19 | 0.20 | (4) | $43,010 |
| Columbus, OH | 560 | 0.62 | 0.67 | (4) | $41,730 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 4.63 | 5.02 | (4) | $30,540 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 430 | 2.50 | 2.71 | (4) | $21,690 |
| North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 11.24 | 12.19 | (4) | $44,550 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 1.06 | 1.15 | (4) | $39,820 |
| North and West Central New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 2.24 | 2.43 | (4) | $19,150 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 11.24 | 12.19 | (4) | $44,550 |
| Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 4.63 | 5.02 | (4) | $30,540 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 430 | 2.50 | 2.71 | (4) | $21,690 |
| North and West Central New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 2.24 | 2.43 | (4) | $19,150 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 1.12 | 1.21 | (4) | $21,130 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | 250 | 11.24 | 12.19 | (4) | $44,550 |
| Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | 230 | 1.06 | 1.15 | (4) | $39,820 |
| Western Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | 80 | 0.98 | 1.06 | (4) | $31,640 |
| Gulf Coast Texas nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 4.63 | 5.02 | (4) | $30,540 |
| Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | (4) | $24,610 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(4) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
