Occupation overview

Special Education Teachers, Preschool Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for special education teachers, preschool is $64,830, or — per hour. About 29,510 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $99,070 in Massachusetts to $35,580 in Arkansas.

Median annual

$64,830

Median hourly

—

Entry level (P10)

$45,620

Top 10% (P90)

$130,040

Employment

29,510

States covered

Wage distribution nationwide

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

10th percentile90th percentile

$45,620

$52,210

$64,830

$91,660

$45,620$64,830$130,040

Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $64,830.

Salary by state

All 45 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#	State	Median annual	Median hourly	Employment	Location quotient
1	Massachusetts	$99,070	—	710	1.03
2	New Jersey	$92,060	—	1,720	2.12
3	Connecticut	$87,960	—	380	1.19
4	Washington	$86,580	—	820	1.22
5	Maryland	$85,010	—	70	0.14
6	Pennsylvania	$83,510	—	490	0.43
7	Alaska	$80,390	—	110	1.80
8	Vermont	$79,000	—	70	1.21
9	Colorado	$78,040	—	810	1.49
10	Virginia	$77,570	—	650	0.84
11	Oregon	$77,490	—	400	1.07
12	Minnesota	$75,880	—	1,250	2.24
13	Michigan	$75,860	—	430	0.52
14	Hawaii	$75,120	—	230	1.93
15	Georgia	$72,310	—	380	0.41
16	New York	$68,180	—	6,220	3.38
17	New Mexico	$66,010	—	270	1.61
18	Texas	$65,680	—	2,010	0.75
19	Iowa	$63,540	—	—	—
20	Nebraska	$62,760	—	80	0.39
21	Illinois	$62,580	—	1,080	0.93
22	Missouri	$62,250	—	940	1.68
23	New Hampshire	$61,720	—	80	0.63
24	Wisconsin	$60,870	—	240	0.44
25	Ohio	$60,700	—	1,150	1.10
26	Maine	$60,680	—	40	0.31
27	North Carolina	$60,180	—	640	0.68
28	Arizona	$60,130	—	330	0.53
29	North Dakota	$60,060	—	50	0.67
30	South Carolina	$59,800	—	170	0.39
31	Tennessee	$59,550	—	330	0.52
32	California	$59,550	—	2,510	0.73
33	Rhode Island	$59,310	—	120	1.24
34	Delaware	$59,250	—	100	1.13
35	Kansas	$59,220	—	350	1.29
36	Florida	$58,240	—	1,370	0.73
37	Utah	$58,230	—	110	0.33
38	Louisiana	$56,890	—	960	2.61
39	Kentucky	$54,220	—	—	—
40	Mississippi	$52,420	—	110	0.50
41	Wyoming	$52,100	—	80	1.43
42	Oklahoma	$49,720	—	60	0.17
43	Idaho	$49,610	—	180	1.09
44	Indiana	$48,680	—	380	0.62
45	Arkansas	$35,580	—	510	2.08

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

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

Frequently asked questions

How much do special education teachers, preschool make?

The median annual wage for special education teachers, preschool in the United States is $64,830, or — per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $45,620, and the top 10% earn $130,040.

How many special education teachers, preschool are employed in the U.S.?

About 29,510 people work as special education teachers, preschool nationwide.

Which state pays special education teachers, preschool the most?

Massachusetts pays the most at a median of $99,070, followed by New Jersey ($92,060) and Connecticut ($87,960).

Which state pays special education teachers, preschool the least?

Arkansas has the lowest median at $35,580.

Where are special education teachers, preschool jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is New York at 3.38×.

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