A graduate teaching assistant helps a college professor conduct their course, both in and out of the classroom. As a graduate assistant, you may be asked to grade assignments or prepare class presentations. You also provide support to students during office hours. In some cases, you have full teaching duties for a low-level class. Graduate teaching assistants are a crucial element of postsecondary education. To be a graduate teaching assistant, you must have current enrollment in a master’s degree program. You spend most of your time in the classroom but may need to run errands on campus. This is an ideal position for any grad students hoping to pursue a career in academics.

The primary qualifications needed to become a graduate teaching assistant are a bachelor’s degree and current enrollment in a master’s degree program. While Ph.D. students can also be graduate teaching assistants, they usually function as more of a full professor than an assistant. You should apply for a position with your school as early as possible, even before your first semester begins. Your school will base their decision based on your performance in your undergraduate program more than your employment resume.

High Paying Graduate Teaching Assistant Jobs

List of the top 10 highest paying Graduate Teaching Assistant positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Post Doctoral Researcher
Salary range: $116,000 - $116,000
The majority of Post Doctoral Researcher salaries across the United States currently range between $116,000 (25th percentile) and $116,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Post Doctoral Researcher job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Salary range: $58,000 - $101,500
The majority of Postdoctoral Research Fellow salaries across the United States currently range between $58,000 (25th percentile) and $101,500 (75th percentile) annually. This large range of salary potential suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay depending on skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Postdoctoral Research Fellow job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Assistant Teaching Professor
Salary range: $72,000 - $92,500
The majority of Assistant Teaching Professor salaries across the United States currently range between $72,000 (25th percentile) and $92,500 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Assistant Teaching Professor job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Clinical Fellow
Salary range: $44,500 - $84,500
A clinical fellow is a medical doctor who has completed their degree and general residency program and is now training in a health specialty, such as cardiology or oncology. Becoming a clinical fellow is the next step in establishing a specialization in your medical career. This additional year or more of education gives you a chance to conduct research and learn the skills of your specialty from physicians with experience in the field. Your job duties include examining and treating patients, completing patient charts, performing medical procedures, and researching information relevant to your specialty.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Salary range: $49,000 - $66,500
A post-doctoral fellow is someone who has recently earned their doctorate and has taken on the temporary role of a research scholar. The goal of the fellowship is to gain skills and experience that are needed to further their career. Depending on the field, fellowship research may be done under the supervision of a professor, similar to an independent study course, or conducted in a laboratory or clinical setting. Job duties include conducting in-depth research on the career they intend to pursue, documenting the findings of their research, and presenting these studies at the conclusion of the study.
Research Fellow
Salary range: $52,000 - $65,000
As a research fellow, your responsibilities include strategy development for a research project at a university or research facility for clinical studies or other purposes. You manage a small part of a department while reporting to top management or your mentor. You may also be required to help acquire funding for the project while your mentor obtains access to the needed research infrastructure. As a scientist, you perform data collection at a laboratory, where you work to complete each necessary test and analyze the data. You then publish the results in academic journals or books and present them at conferences while handling any related public policy issues. You may have some teaching duties supervising and mentoring postgraduate research students.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Salary range: $53,500 - $56,500
A postdoctoral scholar works in university-level research under a mentor to prepare for a career. They collect, process, and analyze data. Other job duties include assisting university faculty, designing research experiments, and publishing the results of independent projects. Unlike a research associate, this job is temporary, and typically lasts no more than three or four years from appointment. Previous experience in secondary education is required, so a postdoctoral scholar should have a college degree. Qualifications often include past work as a postdoctoral fellow as well as writing and organizational skills.
Graduate Fellow
Salary range: $46,500 - $51,000
The majority of Graduate Fellow salaries across the United States currently range between $46,500 (25th percentile) and $51,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Graduate Fellow job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Teaching Fellow
Salary range: $30,000 - $49,000
A teaching fellow is a graduate student who teaches a university course and has at least a master’s degree in their research specialty. Their primary job duties are to provide undergraduate instruction, conduct lectures, and oversee any teaching assistants or graders they may have for the course. Most fellows teach a class while they continue their graduate studies, typically as they complete their dissertations. At some institutions, a teaching fellow has great independence, while others require fellows to be supervised by a full faculty member.
Graduate Research Assistant
Salary range: $31,000 - $48,000
The majority of Graduate Research Assistant salaries across the United States currently range between $31,000 (25th percentile) and $48,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Graduate Research Assistant job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Graduate Assistant
Salary range: $31,500 - $44,500
The job of a graduate assistant is to perform research, teach, or work at a university as part of their academic education. Graduate assistants are typically doctoral candidates, but some master’s students may also qualify to work in this position. Your duties in this career differ depending on your role and the level of class at which you assist. For example, many large lecture classes need graders, readers, and teaching assistants, all with separate responsibilities. On the other hand, if you work in labs or departmental offices, you may work as a full-time researcher.
Higher Level Teaching Assistant
Salary range: $23,500 - $30,000
A higher level teaching assistant has more responsibilities than a teaching assistant or a learning support assistant. In this position, your job duties include more direct instruction, usually with a focus on a particular subject, such as information and communication technology (ICT) or adult literacy skills. You still collaborate with lead teachers in preparing lessons and instructional materials, providing support with classroom management and administrative tasks, and monitoring students during break times. You can work as a higher level teaching assistant at every level of education.

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