Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Instructional assistant salary
Average instructional assistant salary
$15.47
Average Instructional Assistant Salary
The average salary for an Instructional Assistant is $32,170 per year or about $15 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific education sector. For example, instructional assistants in metropolitan areas often earn more due to higher living costs.
Salary by State
Instructional assistants in states like California and New York typically report higher earnings compared to those in less populated regions. Understanding these regional differences can help you target your job search effectively.
Job Opportunities
Many instructional assistants find roles in public schools, private institutions, and special education settings. There’s a growing demand for professionals who can assist teachers and support student learning, making this a promising career path for those interested in education.
Let Zippia find your next instructional assistant job
Let Zippia find your next instructional assistant job
Where can an Instructional Assistant earn more?
Instructional assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average instructional assistant salary by state
The highest-paying states for instructional assistants are Alaska, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The lowest average instructional assistant salary states are Ohio, Louisiana, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for instructional assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $39,779 | $19.12 |
| 2 | Vermont | $35,425 | $17.03 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $39,536 | $19.01 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $33,629 | $16.17 |
| 5 | Oregon | $38,482 | $18.50 |
| 6 | Maine | $36,336 | $17.47 |
| 7 | Delaware | $35,039 | $16.85 |
| 8 | New York | $37,782 | $18.16 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $39,672 | $19.07 |
| 10 | Illinois | $33,726 | $16.21 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $33,895 | $16.30 |
| 12 | Washington | $36,614 | $17.60 |
| 13 | Nevada | $30,386 | $14.61 |
| 14 | Michigan | $31,449 | $15.12 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $31,555 | $15.17 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | $31,230 | $15.01 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $33,212 | $15.97 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $29,771 | $14.31 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $30,434 | $14.63 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $33,758 | $16.23 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $30,178 | $14.51 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $31,020 | $14.91 |
| 23 | California | $34,238 | $16.46 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $31,892 | $15.33 |
| 25 | Arizona | $28,686 | $13.79 |
| 26 | Idaho | $29,378 | $14.12 |
| 27 | Maryland | $30,863 | $14.84 |
| 28 | Montana | $28,564 | $13.73 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $29,811 | $14.33 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $28,442 | $13.67 |
| 31 | Texas | $28,801 | $13.85 |
| 32 | Colorado | $28,577 | $13.74 |
| 33 | Virginia | $30,035 | $14.44 |
| 34 | Utah | $29,578 | $14.22 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $29,869 | $14.36 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $26,548 | $12.76 |
| 37 | Indiana | $28,620 | $13.76 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $33,011 | $15.87 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $26,874 | $12.92 |
| 40 | Iowa | $26,653 | $12.81 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $27,027 | $12.99 |
| 42 | Missouri | $27,659 | $13.30 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $25,277 | $12.15 |
| 44 | Kansas | $24,374 | $11.72 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $25,072 | $12.05 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $25,421 | $12.22 |
| 47 | Ohio | $25,166 | $12.10 |
| 48 | Alabama | $25,587 | $12.30 |
| 49 | Florida | $22,430 | $10.78 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $23,861 | $11.47 |
| 51 | Georgia | $23,940 | $11.51 |
Highest paying cities for instructional assistants
The highest-paying cities for instructional assistants are Salem, OR, New York, NY, and Tacoma, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salem, OR | $38,607 | $18.56 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $37,693 | $18.12 |
| 3 | Tacoma, WA | $36,855 | $17.72 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | $35,920 | $17.27 |
| 5 | Arlington Heights, IL | $33,961 | $16.33 |
| 6 | Eau Claire, WI | $32,522 | $15.64 |
| 7 | Frederick, MD | $30,813 | $14.81 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $30,113 | $14.48 |
| 9 | Bloomington, MN | $30,101 | $14.47 |
| 10 | Surprise, AZ | $28,844 | $13.87 |
| 11 | Westminster, CO | $28,607 | $13.75 |
| 12 | Wentzville, MO | $27,585 | $13.26 |
| 13 | Columbia, SC | $25,288 | $12.16 |
| 14 | Salina, KS | $24,576 | $11.82 |
Instructional Assistants are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Instructional assistant salary details
An instructional assistant's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an instructional assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $32,170 | $2,681 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying instructional assistant jobs
The highest paying types of instructional assistants are instruction assistant principal, teacher internship, and title junior assistant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Internship | $48,398 | $4,033 | $23.27 | 105,496 |
| Education Paraprofessional | $31,158 | $2,596 | $14.98 | 53,164 |
| Instructional Designer Internship | $33,791 | $2,816 | $16.25 | 94,366 |
| Instructional Aide | $30,993 | $2,583 | $14.90 | 60,846 |
Top companies hiring instructional assistants now:
Which companies pay instructional assistants the most?
Instructional assistant salaries at Kern Community College District and Saint Xavier University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average instructional assistant salary at companies like Columbia University in the City of New York and Contra Costa College are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kern Community College District | $53,854 | $25.89 |
| 2 | Saint Xavier University | $51,255 | $24.64 |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $50,426 | $24.24 |
| 4 | Contra Costa College | $46,739 | $22.47 |
| 5 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $45,337 | $21.80 |
| 6 | State University of New York College at Cortland | $44,957 | $21.61 |
| 7 | SUNY Empire State College | $43,336 | $20.83 |
| 8 | Capistrano Unified | $42,119 | $20.25 |
| 9 | UC Santa Barbara | $40,929 | $19.68 |
| 10 | Long Beach City College | $40,872 | $19.65 |
| 11 | Rutgers University | $40,263 | $19.36 |
| 12 | Michigan State University | $40,050 | $19.25 |
| 13 | Madera High School | $39,618 | $19.05 |
| 14 | Ohlone College | $38,762 | $18.64 |
| 15 | Chicago State University | $38,207 | $18.37 |
| 16 | SUNY Morrisville | $38,117 | $18.33 |
| 17 | Lifesteps | $37,812 | $18.18 |
| 18 | Centralia College | $37,703 | $18.13 |
| 19 | Culver City Unified School District | $37,558 | $18.06 |
| 20 | University at Buffalo | $37,315 | $17.94 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Instructional assistant salary trends
The average instructional assistant salary has risen by $5,905 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average instructional assistant earned $26,265 annually, but today, they earn $32,170 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for instructional assistants over the last decade.
Compare instructional assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average instructional assistant salary over time
Compare instructional assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Instructional assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,200 | $15.47 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $31,100 | $14.94 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $30,000 | $14.44 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $29,200 | $14.06 | +3.2% |
| 2021 | $28,300 | $13.61 | +2.0% |
Recently added instructional assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Community College System | EMS Instructor Assistant | Enon, VA | 06/30/2025 | $43,827 |
| State of Kentucky | Ksb/Ksd Instructional Assistant | Louisville, KY | 06/30/2025 | $26,358 |
| Broward County Public Schools | Instructional Assistant Job Details | Broward County Public Schools | Pompano Beach, FL | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Overlake Ob Gyn, Pc | Instructional Assistant/Paraeducator/Day Shift) | Bellevue, WA | 06/29/2025 | $38,985 |
| Sbhu | TH Instructional Support Assistant-Histology | Stony Brook, NY | 06/29/2025 | $46,772 |
| Stonybrooku | TH Instructional Support Assistant-Cancer Center Lab-Per Diem | Stony Brook, NY | 06/29/2025 | $44,704 |
| Christel House Schools | Instructional Assistant at Dors | Indianapolis, IN | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| San Juan Unified | Bilingual Instructional Assistant Farsi [AT Mira Loma High School (PC #: 38411/[JOB ID 59 | Carmichael, CA | 06/28/2025 | $38,923 |
| Kern High School District | Instructional Assistant (Title I) (3 Positions)-Open To Kern High School District Regular and Subs | Ione, CA | 06/28/2025 | $27,237 |
| Archdiocese of Washington | Preschool Instructional Assistant-ST. John The Baptist School-Silver Spring Maryland | Silver Spring, MD | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
Instructional assistant salary FAQs
Search for instructional assistant jobs