Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of instructional assistant salary by state for the United States:
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Alaska has the highest instructional assistant salary of $39,779
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Florida has the lowest instructional assistant salary of $22,430
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The national average salary for instructional assistants is $32,170
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The national hourly pay for instructional assistants is $15.47
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In today’s job market, salary remains a critical factor for many job seekers, especially in the educational sector. As an instructional assistant, understanding your potential earnings by location is essential for making informed career decisions.
Numerous factors affect your salary as an instructional assistant, including experience, location, and the specific requirements of the position. While your local salary may vary from state averages, these figures provide a valuable guideline for what you can expect.
Currently, Alaska offers the highest average salary for instructional assistants, reflecting both the demand for educational support in the region and the cost of living.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for instructional assistant salaries:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Instructional Assistants By State
| Rank | State | Average Instructional Assistant Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $39,779 | $33,000 | $47,000 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $39,672 | $27,000 | $56,000 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $39,536 | $27,000 | $57,000 |
| 4 | Oregon | $38,482 | $28,000 | $51,000 |
| 5 | New York | $37,782 | $25,000 | $55,000 |
| 6 | Washington | $36,614 | $27,000 | $48,000 |
| 7 | Maine | $36,336 | $26,000 | $49,000 |
| 8 | Vermont | $35,425 | $25,000 | $49,000 |
| 9 | Delaware | $35,039 | $23,000 | $51,000 |
| 10 | California | $34,238 | $25,000 | $45,000 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $33,895 | $22,000 | $50,000 |
| 12 | Illinois | $33,726 | $24,000 | $47,000 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $33,629 | $23,000 | $47,000 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $33,212 | $25,000 | $44,000 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $33,011 | $28,000 | $38,000 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $31,892 | $22,000 | $44,000 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $31,555 | $21,000 | $46,000 |
| 18 | Michigan | $31,449 | $21,000 | $45,000 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $31,230 | $23,000 | $41,000 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $31,020 | $21,000 | $45,000 |
| 21 | Maryland | $30,863 | $21,000 | $44,000 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $30,434 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 23 | Nevada | $30,386 | $22,000 | $40,000 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $30,178 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 25 | Virginia | $30,035 | $21,000 | $42,000 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $29,869 | $20,000 | $42,000 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $29,811 | $21,000 | $40,000 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $29,771 | $22,000 | $39,000 |
| 29 | Utah | $29,578 | $22,000 | $39,000 |
| 30 | Idaho | $29,378 | $22,000 | $38,000 |
| 31 | Texas | $28,801 | $21,000 | $38,000 |
| 32 | Arizona | $28,686 | $21,000 | $38,000 |
| 33 | Indiana | $28,620 | $20,000 | $39,000 |
| 34 | Colorado | $28,577 | $21,000 | $37,000 |
| 35 | Montana | $28,564 | $21,000 | $37,000 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $28,442 | $21,000 | $38,000 |
| 37 | Missouri | $27,659 | $20,000 | $37,000 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $27,027 | $19,000 | $37,000 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $26,874 | $19,000 | $36,000 |
| 40 | Iowa | $26,653 | $19,000 | $36,000 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $26,548 | $19,000 | $35,000 |
| 42 | Alabama | $25,587 | $18,000 | $34,000 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $25,421 | $18,000 | $35,000 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $25,277 | $18,000 | $34,000 |
| 45 | Ohio | $25,166 | $17,000 | $36,000 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $25,072 | $18,000 | $34,000 |
| 47 | Kansas | $24,374 | $18,000 | $32,000 |
| 48 | Georgia | $23,940 | $17,000 | $32,000 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $23,861 | $17,000 | $32,000 |
| 50 | Florida | $22,430 | $16,000 | $30,000 |
Methodology: Instructional Assistant Salary By State
To better understand instructional assistant pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for instructional assistants by state.
We took the average annual salary data for instructional assistants from these estimates and ranked every state based on this criterion, with the highest salary ranking as the state offering the best average compensation for instructional assistants.
Instructional Assistant Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for instructional assistants?
The highest-paid state for instructional assistants is Alaska with an average salary of $39,779 per year.
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What city pays instructional assistants the most?
Salem, OR pays instructional assistants the most with an average salary of $38,607 per year.
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What is the worst state for instructional assistants?
The worst state for instructional assistants is Florida with an average salary of $22,430 per year.

