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

Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary Salary in Phoenix, AZ

Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earn a median $49,810 a year — 16% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $41,166 take-home, or $3,430 a month.

Median salary
$49,810
$23.95 per hour
Typical range
$34,580 – $80,280
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Phoenix, AZ
4,450
1.78× national concentration
▼3.1%
Pay trend: The median for teaching assistants, postsecondary in Phoenix, AZ fell from $51,420 (May 2024) to $49,810 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 5.5%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary in Phoenix, AZ
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$41,166
per year · effective tax rate 17.4%
$3,430Monthly
$1,715Twice a month
$1,583Every 2 weeks
$19.79Hourly
  • Federal income tax$3,797
  • Social Security (6.2%)$3,088
  • Medicare (1.45%)$722
  • Arizona income tax$1,037
  • Take-home pay$41,166

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.50% state

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

Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary pay by experience in Phoenix, AZ

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$34,580$16.63$29,309$2,442
25th percentile$49,170$23.64$40,668$3,389
Median (50th)$49,810$23.95$41,166$3,430
75th percentile$63,050$30.31$51,473$4,289
90th percentile (top earners)$80,280$38.60$63,509$5,292

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

What $49,810 buys in Phoenix, AZ

Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.21× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median teaching assistants, postsecondary's $41,166 take-home pay has the buying power of $39,845 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,583
46% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,839
54% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$1,847
per month for everything else

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

Phoenix, AZ has 1.8× the national concentration of teaching assistants, postsecondary jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

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

Phoenix, AZ ranks #6 of 14 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1College Station, TX $57,790$48,614$53,451
2Sacramento, CA $61,780$49,261$46,181
3Champaign, IL $50,110$40,108$43,264
4Washington, DC $58,330$46,703$42,893
5Madison, WI $47,990$39,409$40,508
6Phoenix, AZ $49,810$41,166$39,845
7Boston, MA $49,760$39,894$36,848
8Houston, TX $38,490$33,107$33,567

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 14 metros →

About the job: teaching assistants, postsecondary

Assist faculty or other instructional staff in postsecondary institutions by performing instructional support activities, such as developing teaching materials, leading discussion groups, preparing and giving examinations, and grading examinations or papers. Graduate students who teach one or more full courses should be classified in the 25-1000 minor group.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+2.7% (about average)

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a teaching assistants, postsecondary make in Phoenix, AZ?

The median teaching assistants, postsecondary salary in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area is $49,810 a year, or about $23.95 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $49,170 and $63,050.

What is a teaching assistants, postsecondary’s take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ?

On the median $49,810 salary, a single filer living in Arizona takes home about $41,166 a year ($3,430 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,037 in Arizona taxes in 2026.

Is Phoenix, AZ a good place to work as a teaching assistants, postsecondary?

Pay here is 16% above the national median of $42,910. Local prices are 3.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $39,845 would in a typical U.S. city. Phoenix, AZ ranks #6 of 14 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a teaching assistants, postsecondary afford rent in Phoenix, AZ?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Phoenix, AZ is $1,583 a month ($1,839 for two bedrooms) — 46% of a median teaching assistants, postsecondary’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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