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

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in Modesto, CA

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in the Modesto, CA metro area earn a median $47,990 a year — 30% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $39,187 take-home, or $3,266 a month.

Median salary
$47,990
$23.07 per hour
Typical range
$37,760 – $58,650
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Modesto, CA
3,470
1.95× national concentration
▲4.8%
Pay trend: The median for teaching assistants, except postsecondary in Modesto, CA rose from $45,790 (May 2024) to $47,990 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 2.4%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in Modesto, CA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$39,187
per year · effective tax rate 18.3%
$3,266Monthly
$1,633Twice a month
$1,507Every 2 weeks
$18.84Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,579
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,975
  • Medicare (1.45%)$696
  • California income tax$929
  • CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$624
  • Take-home pay$39,187

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state

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

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary pay by experience in Modesto, CA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$37,760$18.15$31,530$2,627
25th percentile$43,930$21.12$36,160$3,013
Median (50th)$47,990$23.07$39,187$3,266
75th percentile$49,550$23.82$40,327$3,361
90th percentile (top earners)$58,650$28.20$46,974$3,915

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

What $47,990 buys in Modesto, CA

Prices in Modesto, CA are 4.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.08× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median teaching assistants, except postsecondary's $39,187 take-home pay has the buying power of $37,641 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,356
42% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,758
54% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,910
per month for everything else

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

Modesto, CA has 1.9× the national concentration of teaching assistants, except postsecondary jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

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

Modesto, CA ranks #4 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

*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 California

Frequently asked questions

How much does a teaching assistants, except postsecondary make in Modesto, CA?

The median teaching assistants, except postsecondary salary in the Modesto, CA metro area is $47,990 a year, or about $23.07 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $43,930 and $49,550.

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

On the median $47,990 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $39,187 a year ($3,266 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,553 in California taxes in 2026.

Is Modesto, CA a good place to work as a teaching assistants, except postsecondary?

Pay here is 30% above the national median of $36,780. Local prices are 4.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $37,641 would in a typical U.S. city. Modesto, CA ranks #4 of 94 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a teaching assistants, except postsecondary afford rent in Modesto, CA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Modesto, CA is $1,356 a month ($1,758 for two bedrooms) — 42% 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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