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Best states for a graduate assistant
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Graduate assistant opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for graduate assistants, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for graduate assistants.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for graduate assistants. We found that Massachusetts is the best state in the nation for graduate assistants, and people in Marshfield earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for graduate assistant jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.We found that the South is best for graduate assistants, and the Northeast is the worst. Boston, MA is the best city in the country for graduate assistant jobs, where as Massachusetts is the best state in the country.
10 best states for graduate assistants in 2026
1. Massachusetts
Total graduate assistant jobs: 99 Average annual salary: $50,237 Lowest 10 percent earn: $20,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 2.04
2. New York
Total graduate assistant jobs: 135 Average annual salary: $47,325 Lowest 10 percent earn: $18,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $119,000 Location Quotient: 1.99
3. Pennsylvania
Total graduate assistant jobs: 65 Average annual salary: $44,472 Lowest 10 percent earn: $17,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
4. Connecticut
Total graduate assistant jobs: 19 Average annual salary: $43,780 Lowest 10 percent earn: $17,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
5. New Jersey
Total graduate assistant jobs: 67 Average annual salary: $41,352 Lowest 10 percent earn: $15,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.59
6. Rhode Island
Total graduate assistant jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $37,211 Lowest 10 percent earn: $14,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.71
7. Vermont
Total graduate assistant jobs: 5 Average annual salary: $36,798 Lowest 10 percent earn: $15,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Maryland
Total graduate assistant jobs: 49 Average annual salary: $39,859 Lowest 10 percent earn: $14,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.46
9. Alaska
Total graduate assistant jobs: 53 Average annual salary: $34,305 Lowest 10 percent earn: $15,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 11.99
10. New Hampshire
Total graduate assistant jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $38,940 Lowest 10 percent earn: $15,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.43
Graduate assistant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a graduate assistant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a graduate assistant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $50,237 | $20,000 | 6,859,819 | 99 |
| 2 | New York | $47,325 | $18,000 | 19,849,399 | 135 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $44,472 | $17,000 | 12,805,537 | 65 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $43,780 | $17,000 | 3,588,184 | 19 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $41,352 | $15,000 | 9,005,644 | 67 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $37,211 | $14,000 | 1,059,639 | 11 |
| 7 | Vermont | $36,798 | $15,000 | 623,657 | 5 |
| 8 | Maryland | $39,859 | $14,000 | 6,052,177 | 49 |
| 9 | Alaska | $34,305 | $15,000 | 739,795 | 53 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $38,940 | $15,000 | 1,342,795 | 4 |
| 11 | Maine | $47,649 | $19,000 | 1,335,907 | 1 |
| 12 | Michigan | $34,468 | $13,000 | 9,962,311 | 28 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $36,135 | $15,000 | 5,795,483 | 9 |
| 14 | Colorado | $31,131 | $14,000 | 5,607,154 | 84 |
| 15 | Ohio | $32,508 | $12,000 | 11,658,609 | 37 |
| 16 | Indiana | $34,159 | $13,000 | 6,666,818 | 10 |
| 17 | Idaho | $30,726 | $14,000 | 1,716,943 | 8 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $27,437 | $13,000 | 755,393 | 10 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $29,731 | $13,000 | 5,576,606 | 44 |
| 20 | Illinois | $30,995 | $12,000 | 12,802,023 | 66 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $27,284 | $10,000 | 1,815,857 | 9 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $30,403 | $11,000 | 693,972 | 17 |
| 23 | Kansas | $28,905 | $12,000 | 2,913,123 | 13 |
| 24 | Virginia | $29,144 | $10,000 | 8,470,020 | 76 |
| 25 | Delaware | $32,617 | $11,000 | 961,939 | 1 |
| 26 | Texas | $27,470 | $9,000 | 28,304,596 | 136 |
| 27 | Washington | $29,157 | $13,000 | 7,405,743 | 34 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $29,098 | $9,000 | 2,984,100 | 3 |
| 29 | California | $29,846 | $12,000 | 39,536,653 | 151 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $27,784 | $9,000 | 4,684,333 | 7 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $28,118 | $13,000 | 869,666 | 1 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $27,834 | $9,000 | 5,024,369 | 6 |
| 33 | Oregon | $25,655 | $11,000 | 4,142,776 | 36 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $26,143 | $9,000 | 6,715,984 | 10 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $27,271 | $11,000 | 2,088,070 | 3 |
| 36 | Nevada | $25,694 | $10,000 | 2,998,039 | 9 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $23,454 | $10,000 | 1,920,076 | 20 |
| 38 | Alabama | $24,842 | $8,000 | 4,874,747 | 18 |
| 39 | Missouri | $25,620 | $10,000 | 6,113,532 | 22 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $25,949 | $8,000 | 10,273,419 | 24 |
| 41 | Florida | $25,617 | $7,000 | 20,984,400 | 37 |
| 42 | Montana | $27,218 | $13,000 | 1,050,493 | 0 |
| 43 | Arizona | $24,605 | $9,000 | 7,016,270 | 28 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $30,903 | $11,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $24,757 | $9,000 | 4,454,189 | 6 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $25,807 | $12,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $24,819 | $9,000 | 3,930,864 | 6 |
| 48 | Georgia | $25,783 | $8,000 | 10,429,379 | 13 |
| 49 | Iowa | $24,084 | $10,000 | 3,145,711 | 6 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $23,158 | $8,000 | 3,004,279 | 7 |
| 51 | Utah | $22,960 | $10,000 | 3,101,833 | 9 |
Highest paying states for graduate assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. Graduate Assistant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $50,237 |
| 2 | New York | $47,325 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $44,472 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $43,780 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $41,352 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $37,211 |
| 7 | Vermont | $36,798 |
| 8 | Maryland | $39,859 |
| 9 | Alaska | $34,305 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $38,940 |
| 11 | Maine | $47,649 |
| 12 | Michigan | $34,468 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $36,135 |
| 14 | Colorado | $31,131 |
| 15 | Ohio | $32,508 |
| 16 | Indiana | $34,159 |
| 17 | Idaho | $30,726 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $27,437 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $29,731 |
| 20 | Illinois | $30,995 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $27,284 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $30,403 |
| 23 | Kansas | $28,905 |
| 24 | Virginia | $29,144 |
| 25 | Delaware | $32,617 |
| 26 | Texas | $27,470 |
| 27 | Washington | $29,157 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $29,098 |
| 29 | California | $29,846 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $27,784 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $28,118 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $27,834 |
| 33 | Oregon | $25,655 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $26,143 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $27,271 |
| 36 | Nevada | $25,694 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $23,454 |
| 38 | Alabama | $24,842 |
| 39 | Missouri | $25,620 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $25,949 |
| 41 | Florida | $25,617 |
| 42 | Montana | $27,218 |
| 43 | Arizona | $24,605 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $30,903 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $24,757 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $25,807 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $24,819 |
| 48 | Georgia | $25,783 |
| 49 | Iowa | $24,084 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $23,158 |
| 51 | Utah | $22,960 |
Graduate assistant best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025