Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,100 or more. The middle half of teaching assistants (except postsecondary) in Chicago earn between $32,780 and $46,210.
- $31K10th
- $33K25th
- $38KMedian
- $46K75th
- $48K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $39,820 | $3,318 | — |
| Median | $37,840 | $3,153 | — |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $32,780 | $2,732 | — |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $46,210 | $3,851 | — |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $39,820, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $32,345 a year, or $2,695 a month and $1,244 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $33,011 | $2,751 |
| Working in IL | $32,345 | $2,695 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for teaching assistants (except postsecondary)? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $39,820 buys what about $38,438 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 8.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Decatur pays the most ($47,500).
- Decatur$47,500
- Chicago$39,820
- Kankakee$36,470
- Rockford$36,460
- Peoria$36,200
- Champaign$35,530
- Bloomington$35,470
- Springfield$35,200
All Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salaries in Illinois
Highest-paying cities for teaching assistants (except postsecondary)
Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,720).
- Seattle, WA$54,720
- Mount Vernon, WA$54,130
- San Francisco, CA$52,640
- Bremerton, WA$51,970
- San Jose, CA$51,670
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Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salary in Chicago: questions
What is the entry-level teaching assistants (except postsecondary) salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,780, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the teaching assistants (except postsecondary) take-home pay in Chicago?
About $32,345 a year ($2,695 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $39,820.
Do teaching assistants (except postsecondary) earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,981).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-9045; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.13, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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