Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
25 metro areas in California publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 170,680 jobs. The three largest employers of teaching assistants, except postsecondary are Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (53,010 jobs), Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (22,500 jobs), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (18,710 jobs), which hold 55.2% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $38,930 to $49,360 a year, against $46,490 for the whole state and $36,780 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $36,780 a year for teaching assistants, except postsecondary (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $27,150 and the highest-paid tenth over $50,040). Employment is projected to change by -0.3% between 2025 and 2035, with about 176,200 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: Some college, no degree. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Teaching assistants, except postsecondary in California: the highest median pay is in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area ($49,360 a year); the most jobs are in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area (53,010). Statewide the median is $46,490 with 177,140 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 18,710 | $49,360 | $40,320 | $62,910 | 0.86 | 60% | 115.6 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 7,240 | $49,010 | $39,170 | $63,230 | 0.70 | 70% | 110.4 |
| Napa, CA | 530 | $48,450 | $38,590 | $61,190 | 0.74 | 55% | 112.6 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 1,930 | $48,270 | $39,080 | $59,460 | 1.03 | 54% | 107.8 |
| Vallejo, CA | 1,630 | $48,200 | $38,610 | $59,320 | 1.24 | 54% | 108.5 |
| Salinas, CA | 2,290 | $48,030 | $38,660 | $59,930 | 1.34 | 51% | 109.0 |
| Modesto, CA | 3,470 | $47,990 | $37,760 | $58,650 | 1.95 | 41% | 104.1 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 3,870 | $47,860 | $37,930 | $58,580 | 1.31 | 58% | 110.5 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 1,060 | $47,430 | $38,080 | $60,190 | 1.18 | n/a | n/a |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 2,360 | $46,540 | $38,060 | $57,390 | 1.29 | 55% | 108.8 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 13,260 | $46,440 | $36,540 | $56,870 | 0.94 | 58% | 111.9 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 1,270 | $46,410 | $37,010 | $57,030 | 1.14 | n/a | n/a |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 22,500 | $46,330 | $37,400 | $57,160 | 1.43 | 48% | 106.4 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 53,010 | $46,240 | $37,220 | $60,010 | 0.93 | 54% | 113.6 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 11,110 | $45,990 | $37,940 | $58,030 | 1.13 | 47% | 106.7 |
| Yuba City, CA | 1,220 | $45,880 | $37,140 | $57,040 | 2.62 | n/a | n/a |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 1,080 | $45,780 | $37,590 | $56,480 | 2.42 | n/a | n/a |
| Chico, CA | 1,220 | $45,660 | $36,440 | $55,680 | 1.71 | 37% | 101.2 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 3,500 | $45,550 | $37,810 | $55,600 | 1.32 | 46% | 105.1 |
| Fresno, CA | 6,530 | $45,340 | $36,710 | $57,240 | 1.50 | 37% | 102.2 |
| Visalia, CA | 2,760 | $45,230 | $36,510 | $55,410 | 1.77 | 34% | 99.8 |
| Merced, CA | 1,950 | $44,680 | $36,780 | $55,890 | 2.69 | 36% | 98.3 |
| Redding, CA | 1,030 | $44,430 | $36,320 | $53,810 | 1.58 | 36% | 100.7 |
| El Centro, CA | 1,110 | $43,970 | $36,350 | $57,760 | 1.86 | n/a | n/a |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 6,040 | $38,930 | $36,180 | $48,010 | 1.96 | 40% | 100.9 |
National page: Teaching assistants, except postsecondary →Cities of California
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area, with a median of $49,360 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area, with 53,010 jobs.