Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in Knoxville, TN

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn a median $26,960 a year — 27% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $23,812 take-home, or $1,984 a month.

Median salary
$26,960
$12.96 per hour
Typical range
$22,010 – $36,390
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Knoxville, TN
3,070
0.79× national concentration
▲15.5%
Pay trend: The median for teaching assistants, except postsecondary in Knoxville, TN rose from $23,350 (May 2024) to $26,960 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 13.1%. Large one-year swings in local data can partly reflect BLS survey sampling.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary in Knoxville, TN. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in Knoxville, TN
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$23,812
per year · effective tax rate 11.7%
$1,984Monthly
$992Twice a month
$916Every 2 weeks
$11.45Hourly
  • Federal income tax$1,086
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,672
  • Medicare (1.45%)$391
  • Tennessee income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$23,812

Marginal rate: 10% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay by experience in Knoxville, TN

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$22,010$10.58$19,735$1,645
25th percentile$22,170$10.66$19,867$1,656
Median (50th)$26,960$12.96$23,812$1,984
75th percentile$29,690$14.27$26,036$2,170
90th percentile (top earners)$36,390$17.50$31,419$2,618

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Tennessee resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $26,960 buys in Knoxville, TN

Prices in Knoxville, TN are 7.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 17% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median teaching assistants, except postsecondary's $23,812 take-home pay has the buying power of $25,723 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,126
57% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,401
71% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$858
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary jobs are less concentrated in Knoxville, TN than nationally (location quotient 0.79), so openings may be scarcer.

Best-paying cities for teaching assistants, except postsecondary, adjusted for cost of living

Knoxville, TN ranks #89 of 94 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Seattle, WA $53,950$45,529$40,968
2Kennewick, WA $45,510$38,747$38,717
3Portland, ME $48,770$39,256$38,540
4Modesto, CA $47,990$39,187$37,641
5Visalia, CA $45,230$37,136$37,201
6Fresno, CA $45,340$37,218$36,432
7San Jose, CA $49,010$39,932$36,163
8Riverside, CA $46,330$37,961$35,664
89Knoxville, TN$26,960$23,812$25,723

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 94 metros →

About the job: teaching assistants, except postsecondary

Typical education
Some college, no degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.3% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary salaries elsewhere in Tennessee

Frequently asked questions

How much does a teaching assistants, except postsecondary make in Knoxville, TN?

The median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary in the Knoxville, TN metro area is $26,960 a year, or about $12.96 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $22,170 and $29,690.

What is a teaching assistants, except postsecondary’s take-home pay in Knoxville, TN?

On the median $26,960 salary, a single filer living in Tennessee takes home about $23,812 a year ($1,984 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Knoxville, TN a good place to work as a teaching assistants, except postsecondary?

Pay here is 27% below the national median of $36,780. Local prices are 7.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $25,723 would in a typical U.S. city. Knoxville, TN ranks #89 of 94 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a teaching assistants, except postsecondary afford rent in Knoxville, TN?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Knoxville, TN is $1,126 a month ($1,401 for two bedrooms) — 57% of a median teaching assistants, except postsecondary’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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