CareerPath.Data
Occupation overview

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school is $65,120, or — per hour. About 260,870 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $97,910 in District of Columbia to $50,380 in West Virginia.

Median annual
$65,120
Median hourly
—
Entry level (P10)
$49,350
Top 10% (P90)
$103,010
Employment
260,870
States covered
51

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$49,350
$59,710
$65,120
$80,280
$49,350$65,120$103,010
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $65,120.

Salary by state

All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1District of Columbia$97,910—1,0700.91
2California$97,170—23,2800.76
3Washington$95,040—3,4500.58
4Massachusetts$91,350—7,2201.18
5Rhode Island$84,300—1,0701.28
6Connecticut$82,950—2,8100.99
7New York$81,260—21,1301.30
8Alaska$80,230—3200.58
9Maryland$78,850—2,7600.60
10Illinois$77,960—14,0401.37
11Oregon$77,700—1,5200.46
12New Jersey$76,660—11,6101.61
13New Mexico$76,420—8800.60
14Michigan$74,600—4,0100.54
15Colorado$74,290—4,0100.83
16Vermont$74,200—7701.51
17Ohio$73,970—9,5501.03
18Georgia$72,880—9,3701.14
19Pennsylvania$72,680—7,6400.75
20Virginia$67,740—7,4401.08
21Minnesota$67,620—3,9600.80
22Delaware$65,990—1,0701.31
23New Hampshire$65,160—1,1100.97
24Nevada$65,110—4300.16
25Alabama$64,520—8700.24
26Idaho$63,610—6200.43
27Tennessee$62,560—3,9100.71
28Nebraska$62,420—1,9001.11
29South Carolina$62,360—2,9500.76
30Texas$62,330—56,7602.40
31Maine$61,880—1,3201.23
32Wisconsin$61,520—4,2800.87
33Utah$61,290—1,8900.65
34Hawaii$60,940—1,2701.20
35Wyoming$60,930—6501.38
36Iowa$60,440—2,5600.98
37Kentucky$60,060—3,7101.10
38Kansas$59,970—1,6100.67
39Florida$58,850—8,7400.52
40Louisiana$58,800—4,0001.23
41Indiana$58,760—3,6400.68
42North Carolina$58,260—4,4300.53
43North Dakota$57,950—5900.83
44Montana$57,630—5600.65
45Missouri$57,260—2,8600.58
46Arizona$56,030—2,4500.45
47Arkansas$54,290—1,4300.65
48South Dakota$51,090—7901.04
49Oklahoma$50,630—2,3600.82
50Mississippi$50,570—2,5301.30
51West Virginia$50,380—1,6901.43

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140

Frequently asked questions

How much do special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school make?

The median annual wage for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in the United States is $65,120, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $49,350, and the top 10% earn $103,010.

How many special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school are employed in the U.S.?

About 260,870 people work as special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school nationwide.

Which state pays special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school the most?

District of Columbia pays the most at a median of $97,910, followed by California ($97,170) and Washington ($95,040).

Which state pays special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school the least?

West Virginia has the lowest median at $50,380.

Where are special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Texas at 2.40×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes