Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay in the U.S.
$72,650avg. a year
Annual salary · 260,870 employed
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the U.S. earn an average of $72,650 a year and a median of $65,120. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($94,970) and lowest in West Virginia ($52,870).
$65,120Median pay
$72,650Average yearly
+12%Avg. pay since 2020
260,870Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,070 jobs
District of Columbia
$94,970
a year
23,450 jobs
Washington
$93,970
a year
323,280 jobs
California
$93,510
a year
421,130 jobs
New York
$91,610
a year
57,220 jobs
Massachusetts
$89,550
a year
62,810 jobs
Connecticut
$84,040
a year
72,760 jobs
Maryland
$83,370
a year
81,070 jobs
Rhode Island
$80,910
a year
911,610 jobs
New Jersey
$80,520
a year
10320 jobs
Alaska
$80,110
a year
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $60k$60k–$66k$66k–$75k$75k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | $110,170 | – |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $102,260 | – |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $101,530 | – |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $100,660 | – |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,720 | – |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $99,170 | – |
| Fresno, CA | $95,540 | – |
| Vallejo, CA | $95,460 | – |
Related jobs
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$72,650
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$76,320
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,030
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$43,030
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$77,260
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$72,680
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $65,270 | $64,520 | 870 |
| Alaska | $80,110 | $80,230 | 320 |
| Arizona | $57,470 | $56,030 | 2,450 |
| Arkansas | $56,160 | $54,290 | 1,430 |
| California | $93,510 | $97,170 | 23,280 |
| Colorado | $73,510 | $74,290 | 4,010 |
| Connecticut | $84,040 | $82,950 | 2,810 |
| Delaware | $70,000 | $65,990 | 1,070 |
| District of Columbia | $94,970 | $97,910 | 1,070 |
| Florida | $60,600 | $58,850 | 8,740 |
| Georgia | $72,090 | $72,880 | 9,370 |
| Hawaii | $68,060 | $60,940 | 1,270 |
| Idaho | $66,070 | $63,610 | 620 |
| Illinois | $77,170 | $77,960 | 14,040 |
| Indiana | $59,860 | $58,760 | 3,640 |
| Iowa | $59,940 | $60,440 | 2,560 |
| Kansas | $60,550 | $59,970 | 1,610 |
| Kentucky | $58,580 | $60,060 | 3,710 |
| Louisiana | $58,260 | $58,800 | 4,000 |
| Maine | $64,220 | $61,880 | 1,320 |
| Maryland | $83,370 | $78,850 | 2,760 |
| Massachusetts | $89,550 | $91,350 | 7,220 |
| Michigan | $75,380 | $74,600 | 4,010 |
| Minnesota | $70,350 | $67,620 | 3,960 |
| Mississippi | $53,290 | $50,570 | 2,530 |
| Missouri | $59,660 | $57,260 | 2,860 |
| Montana | $59,320 | $57,630 | 560 |
| Nebraska | $65,160 | $62,420 | 1,900 |
| Nevada | $67,760 | $65,110 | 430 |
| New Hampshire | $66,620 | $65,160 | 1,110 |
| New Jersey | $80,520 | $76,660 | 11,610 |
| New Mexico | $74,740 | $76,420 | 880 |
| New York | $91,610 | $81,260 | 21,130 |
| North Carolina | $57,160 | $58,260 | 4,430 |
| North Dakota | $57,450 | $57,950 | 590 |
| Ohio | $71,630 | $73,970 | 9,550 |
| Oklahoma | $55,380 | $50,630 | 2,360 |
| Oregon | $78,310 | $77,700 | 1,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,340 | $72,680 | 7,640 |
| Rhode Island | $80,910 | $84,300 | 1,070 |
| South Carolina | $64,750 | $62,360 | 2,950 |
| South Dakota | $53,530 | $51,090 | 790 |
| Tennessee | $63,380 | $62,560 | 3,910 |
| Texas | $63,310 | $62,330 | 56,760 |
| Utah | $65,210 | $61,290 | 1,890 |
| Vermont | $72,160 | $74,200 | 770 |
| Virginia | $72,890 | $67,740 | 7,440 |
| Washington | $93,970 | $95,040 | 3,450 |
| West Virginia | $52,870 | $50,380 | 1,690 |
| Wisconsin | $64,400 | $61,520 | 4,280 |
| Wyoming | $64,310 | $60,930 | 650 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$94,060
22,270 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$66,270
15,810 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$65,300
12,680 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$80,080
11,210 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$93,880
6,410 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$60,770
6,190 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$77,190
5,860 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$75,600
5,660 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school make?
The average is $72,650 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $65,120 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $94,970 a year. The best-paying metro area is El Centro, CA at $110,170.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $49,350 a year, and the top 10% earn over $103,010.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-2052. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.