Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a teaching assistant make in Olympia-Lacey, WA?

In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan area, teaching assistants earned a median of $51,350 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,700 of these jobs there. That is 17% below the $61,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,440 and $57,810; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $43,440 in take-home pay.

Teaching assistant pay in Olympia-Lacey, WA at a glance

Median salary

$51,350$4,279 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,440—
25th percentile$40,000—
75th percentile$54,840—
90th percentile$57,810—
Jobs in this metro1,700Location quotient 1.43 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here17% belowAll-jobs median $61,960
Against Washington5% aboveStatewide median $49,120
Against the U.S.40% aboveNational median $36,780

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Teaching assistant salary in Olympia-Lacey, WA after taxes

$51,350
$20,000$105,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$51,350
Net 85%
Fed 8%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$43,440After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,620Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,671Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,982 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,928 / yr

Teaching assistants pay range in Olympia-Lacey, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What teaching assistants earned in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile—$3,037$36,440$31,460
25th percentile—$3,333$40,000$34,320
MedianMedian—$4,279$51,350$43,440
75th percentile—$4,570$54,840$46,244
90th percentile—$4,818$57,810$48,630

Is $51,350 a good salary in Olympia-Lacey, WA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for teaching assistants next to both.

Median household income$96,563Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.73.7% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.2%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Teaching assistant pay in Olympia-Lacey, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for teaching assistants in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for teaching assistants in the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area was $51,350 in May 2025, about $4,279 a month. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $49,120, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for teaching assistants in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many teaching assistants work in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS estimated 1,700 jobs for teaching assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 13.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.43 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for teaching assistants in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

BLS wage estimates for teaching assistants in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA run from $36,440 at the 10th percentile to $40,000 at the 25th, $54,840 at the 75th, and $57,810 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do teaching assistants take home after taxes in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

On a median gross salary of $51,350, an estimated $43,440 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,671 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,910 (an effective rate of 15.4%).

How much do teaching assistants make per month in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

On the median annual salary of $51,350, gross monthly income is $4,279. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,620 per month (or $1,671 every two weeks).

Is $51,350 a good salary in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?

At $51,350, the median salary for teaching assistants is 53.2% of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA median household income ($96,563). It is 17% below the $61,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.7, so prices here run 3.7% above the U.S. average.