Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a teaching assistant make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

In the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metropolitan area, teaching assistants earned a median of $36,700 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,570 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $63,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $32,220 and $52,060; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Jersey tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,101 in take-home pay.

Teaching assistant pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ at a glance

Median salary

$36,700$3,058 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$32,220—
25th percentile$32,220—
75th percentile$44,480—
90th percentile$52,060—
Jobs in this metro2,570Location quotient 1.17 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $63,490
Against New Jersey2% belowStatewide median $37,290
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ after taxes

$36,700
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,700
Net 85%
Fed 6%
NJ 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,101After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,592Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,196Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,224 / yr
New Jersey state income tax$567 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,808 / yr

Teaching assistants pay range in Trenton-Princeton, NJ, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What teaching assistants earned in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NJ)
10th percentile—$2,685$32,220$27,592
25th percentile—$2,685$32,220$27,592
MedianMedian—$3,058$36,700$31,101
75th percentile—$3,707$44,480$37,010
90th percentile—$4,338$52,060$42,682

Is $36,700 a good salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

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$100,645Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.23.2% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.5%of area median income

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

Teaching assistant pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ: common questions

What is the median salary for teaching assistants in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

The BLS median annual wage for teaching assistants in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area was $36,700 in May 2025, about $3,058 a month. Statewide, the New Jersey median for this job is $37,290, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

Is there an hourly rate for teaching assistants in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

BLS estimated 2,570 jobs for teaching assistants in the metro in May 2025, or 10.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.17 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for teaching assistants in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

BLS wage estimates for teaching assistants in Trenton-Princeton, NJ run from $32,220 at the 10th percentile to $32,220 at the 25th, $44,480 at the 75th, and $52,060 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do teaching assistants take home after taxes in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

On a median gross salary of $36,700, an estimated $31,101 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,196 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Jersey in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,599 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do teaching assistants make per month in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

On the median annual salary of $36,700, gross monthly income is $3,058. After federal, FICA, and New Jersey state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,592 per month (or $1,196 every two weeks).

Is $36,700 a good salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

At $36,700, the median salary for teaching assistants is 36.5% of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ median household income ($100,645). It is 42% below the $63,490 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.2, so prices here run 3.2% above the U.S. average.