SalaryExplorer

SOC 25-9045 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary — West Virginia

West Virginia · 7 metro areas compared

$29,800 /year
5,110jobs in area
−19.0%vs US median

The median wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in West Virginia is $29,800 per year, 19.0% below the national median of $36,780.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $36,78010TH$27,40025TH$28,920MEDIAN$29,80075TH$35,55090TH$36,750

How pay has moved

$31,063$23,4882019202020212022202320242025$29,800
$24,750 in 2019 to $29,800 in 2025, +20.4% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

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 West Virginia.

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

The median wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in West Virginia is $29,800 per year, 19.0% below the national median of $36,780. Half of workers earn between $28,920 and $35,550. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $27,400 and the ninetieth at $36,750.

Employment stands at 5,110, or 7.3 jobs per thousand held locally. West Virginia ranks number 40th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Wheeling records the highest median at $30,630. Of the 618 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 574th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · West Virginia · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$27,400−25.5%
25th$28,920−21.4%
Median (50th)$29,800−19.0%
75th$35,550−3.3%
90th$36,750−0.1%
Mean$31,560−14.2%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Highest-paying metro areas in West Virginia

Median annual wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Wheeling$30,630440
2Charleston$29,760770
3Parkersburg$29,500210
4Morgantown$29,430320
5Weirton$29,430300
6Beckley$28,980300
7Huntington$28,5001,230

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in West Virginia run 10.5% below the national average, so the median of $29,800 goes as far as $33,296 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 9.5% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$29,800as reported by BLS

Local price level

89.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$33,296US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $29,800 a year, 19.0% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $27,400 to $36,750 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 5,110 jobs in this occupation.
  • It ranks 40th of 51 states for this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Wheeling, at $30,630.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary in West Virginia?

The median annual wage is $29,800, 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 West Virginia is 19.0% 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 West Virginia earns more than $36,750 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $27,400 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 Wheeling, at $30,630 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 5,110 jobs in this occupation in West Virginia. 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.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary Salary in West Virginia (2025): $29,800 Median | Salary Explorer