SOC 25-9045 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary — Birmingham
Birmingham, AL · 10 metro areas compared
At $27,480, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, 25.3% beneath the national figure of $36,780.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -1.5%
- Openings per year
- 170,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Some college, no degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Birmingham, AL.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $27,480, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, 25.3% beneath the national figure of $36,780. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $24,230 and $28,620. The lowest tenth earn under $23,160, while the highest tenth earn more than $34,850.
Employment stands at 2,450, or 4.7 jobs per thousand held locally. Daphne leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $26,620. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 476th of 489 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $23,160 | −37.0% |
| 25th | $24,230 | −34.1% |
| Median (50th) | $27,480 | −25.3% |
| 75th | $28,620 | −22.2% |
| 90th | $34,850 | −5.2% |
| Mean | $28,350 | −22.9% |
Other metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daphne | $26,620 | 500 | |
| 2 | Huntsville | $26,110 | 840 | |
| 3 | Montgomery | $24,030 | 690 | |
| 4 | Mobile | $23,400 | 830 | |
| 5 | Florence | $23,330 | 240 | |
| 6 | Auburn | $23,300 | 710 | |
| 7 | Dothan | $23,300 | 240 | |
| 8 | Decatur | $23,210 | 310 | |
| 9 | Anniston | $22,230 | 260 | |
| 10 | Gadsden | $21,940 | 190 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Birmingham run 8.4% below the national average, so the median of $27,480 goes as far as $30,000 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 18.4% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$27,480as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$30,000US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $27,480 a year, 25.3% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $23,160 to $34,850 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,450 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Daphne, at $26,620.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in Birmingham, AL?
The median annual wage is $27,480, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $36,780, so pay in Birmingham, AL is 25.3% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Birmingham, AL earns more than $34,850 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $23,160 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Daphne, at $26,620 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,450 jobs in this occupation in Birmingham, AL. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
Explore related data