MIT strives to offer salaries and stipends that enable students to live and pursue their education in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area.
The base salary rates (RA/TA/IG appointments) are established by the collective bargaining agreement (cba) between MIT and the MIT Graduate Student Union. These rates only serve as a guideline to base salary pay; what a department may offer when providing a funding package can vary. Departments have the freedom to set higher rates that are in line with their funding policies for MIT appointments and external fellowships.
Fellowships are funding awards that cover some or all of the costs of graduate tuition, a stipend to cover living expenses, and student health insurance. Some departments offer fellowships to incoming students, and these rates are set in alignment with appointment salary rates. Additionally, MIT offers grants for graduate students with dependent children and other sources of support.
MIT doctoral programs typically provide 12-month appointments; details on funding are outlined in graduate student offer letters. For students in 12-month programs who have a 9-month funding appointment, it is very important that you check with your department or program about opportunities for summer support, since nine months of support is typically insufficient to cover living expenses in the area.
12-month base salary and stipend rates (2024-2025)
| RA, Doctoral | RA, Master’s | TA, Doctoral | TA, Master’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly: $4,134 | Monthly: $3,777 | Monthly: $4,232 | Monthly: $4,232 |
| Annual (12mo.): $49,614 | Annual (12mo.): $45,320 | Annual (12mo.): $50,779 | Annual (12mo.): $50,779 |
| High Range (+15%): $57,056 | High Range (+15%): $52,118 | High Range (+15%): $58,396 | High Range (+15%): $58,396 |
Salaries, stipends, payroll, and taxes
All students are paid via MITPay, with the first payment typically disbursed during the second week of the term. Please see payroll information for graduate students for more information.
The salary or stipend is only part of the financial picture for supporting graduate students. Depending on award or appointment type, there are different costs to MIT and/or external sponsors. In all cases, MIT pays a substantial fraction of the tuition for students with research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. MIT also subsidizes the graduate student housing system and the cost of health care.
Payments received from MIT may be subject to withholding tax in accordance with regulations governed by U.S. federal and state tax authorities. To learn more about how common payment types are defined by the IRS, and details about tax withholding and reporting, please visit the Office of the Vice President for Finance (VPF) website.
The MIT International Students Office (ISO) and MIT VPF host a series of tax information workshops each spring for both U.S. and international students. More information can be found on the workshops page.
Useful links:
Office of Sponsored Programs – Graduate Research Assistant Tuition Subsidy Rates
