Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $96,850 or more. The middle half of teaching assistants, postsecondary in Chicago earn between $35,310 and $48,240.
- $35K10th
- $35K25th
- $36KMedian
- $48K75th
- $97K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $49,140 | $4,095 | — |
| Median | $35,760 | $2,980 | — |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,310 | $2,942 | — |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $48,240 | $4,020 | — |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $49,140, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $39,373 a year, or $3,281 a month and $1,514 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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 | $40,220 | $3,352 |
| Working in IL | $39,373 | $3,281 |
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, 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 $49,140 buys what about $47,435 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 7.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 4 Illinois metro areas for this job; Champaign pays the most ($53,970).
- Champaign$53,970
- Chicago$49,140
- Bloomington$39,840
- Springfield$33,850
Highest-paying cities for teaching assistants, postsecondary
Canton, OH pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($78,760).
- Canton, OH$78,760
- Sacramento, CA$67,480
- Lubbock, TX$62,780
- Merced, CA$62,340
- Washington, DC$61,380
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Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary salary in Chicago: questions
What is the entry-level teaching assistants, postsecondary salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,310, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the teaching assistants, postsecondary take-home pay in Chicago?
About $39,373 a year ($3,281 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,140.
Do teaching assistants, postsecondary earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($49,440).
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 25-9044; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
- 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 1.86, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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