Research Summary. Using a combination of public government and company data as well as data gathered from thousands of job postings, the Zippia data team has created average salary estimates for jobs across the US. Using that data set, the team has identified the types of student assistants that are the highest paid based on their average annual salaries.
Here is a summary of our findings for the highest-paying types of student assistants:
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Advising Assistant is the highest-paid type of student assistant with an average salary of $42,453 and an average hourly rate of $20.41.
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The second highest-paying type of student assistant is assistant, with an average salary of $37,363.
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The average student assistant salary is $25,439 per year, and the average hourly pay is $12.23.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Choosing a career path can be difficult, and while pay shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in your decision, it is a significant factor. So if you’d like to work as a student assistant, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of student assistants are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of student assistants:
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Advising Assistant
Average Salary: $42,453
An advising assistant works with school or university counselors, with a primary focus on students’ mental welfare. Their responsibilities are to document sessions with patients, provide clerical assistance, and assist with psychological assessments. This position preferably requires a degree in psychology. Strong communication and organization skills are also necessary.
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Assistant
Average Salary: $37,363
An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns’ duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
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Graduate Student Assistant
Average Salary: $37,164
Graduate student assistants are graduate students who are employed as support personnel in universities. They assist professors as teaching assistants, research assistants, or aides, depending on their assigned instructions. Their duties include assisting professors in administrative tasks, organizing undergraduate events, and conducting research as well as analyzing data. During the assistantship period, instead of wages, they are given a stipend as compensation to the service provided. This graduate assistantship gives graduate students relevant experience and more employment options in the future.
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Instructional Assistant
Average Salary: $32,170
An instructional assistant’s role is to assist teachers and faculty members by performing various tasks. Their responsibilities will involve managing and monitoring the classroom environment, crafting visual aids and informative presentations, preparing laboratories and equipment, grading papers, recording data, and organizing schedules. An instructional assistant may also teach short courses when a teacher is not around, and provide tutorial sessions to small groups. Furthermore, they may also perform administrative tasks such as producing progress reports and necessary documentation, taking attendance, and responding to calls and correspondence.
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Special Education Instructional Assistant
Average Salary: $32,025
Special education instructional assistant does work under the supervision of the principal and other administrative workers, especially in school and college. They prepare the material aids which are helping to teach in the classroom. Moreover, they are more inclined upon the progress of students. Conducting the exams, preparing the notes, preparing the result and giving the instruction to the students about their life career and course books etc are the main duties of the special education instructional assistant. They preach, instruct, command and come up with the idea about making the school environment more friendly and viable.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various student assistant that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Student Assistants
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information for student assistants.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can read the detailed methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Student Assistant Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid student assistant job?
The highest-paid student assistant job is an advising assistant. Advising Assistants earn an average salary of $42,453, which is $ 20.41 hourly.
An advising assistant works with school or university counselors, with a primary focus on students’ mental welfare. Their responsibilities are to document sessions with patients, provide clerical assistance, and assist with psychological assessments. This position preferably requires a degree in psychology. Strong communication and organization skills are also necessary.
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What is a good salary for a student assistant?
A good salary for a student assistant is $25,439 or more. The average student assistant salary is $25,439, so those making at least $25,439 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average student assistant salary does fluctuate based on location, as companies will adjust their pay scales based on the cost of living in that area. Research what the average salary is in your area for someone of your expertise and experience level to get a more accurate view on how well you’re being paid.
In addition, if you’re just starting your career as a student assistant, the average entry level salary is $0, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $25,439 average, as this includes all student assistants of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Student Assistant jobs pay well?
No, student assistant jobs don’t pay well. As in any industry, some student assistant jobs pay better than others, but the average student assistant salary of $25,439 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many student assistant jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of student assistants earning $0 a year on average.
Student Assistants’ salaries will fluctuate based on their experience level, industry, and location, so pay attention to these factors when you’re looking for a job as a student assistant. Do your research on the going rate for a student assistant in your area with your expertise, and don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary based on that information.
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Where do student assistants get paid the most?
Student Assistants get paid the most in Rhode Island. In Rhode Island, student assistants earn an average annual salary of $29,519 and an average hourly wage of $14.19.
Following RI, the states with the highest-paid student assistants are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, with average annual salaries of $28,869, $28,716, and $28,716 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid student assistant salaries are:
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Albany, NY – $29,037
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Hoboken, NJ – $28,929
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Santa Barbara, CA – $28,886
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Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
