Salary comparison
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary: Olympia vs Santa Cruz
Olympia, WA pays about 8.3% more for teaching assistants, except postsecondary on paper — $51,350 vs $47,430. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Olympia comes out ahead by $3,920 a year in real buying power.
Olympia, WA
$51,350
$40,000
$54,840
$24.69
100
$51,350/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Cruz, CA
$47,430
$44,050
$55,110
$22.80
100
$47,430/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $3,920 a year (8.3%) in favor of Olympia. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Olympia runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Cruz sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Olympia is the better deal by $3,920 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Cruz to Olympia for this role, the raise needs to beat 8.3% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do teaching assistants, except postsecondary earn more, Olympia or Santa Cruz?
Olympia pays $51,350 on median — about 8.3% more than Santa Cruz ($47,430). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Olympia. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Olympia gives you roughly$51,350 of real buying power versus $47,430 in the other city.