Special Education Teachers, Middle School pay in the U.S.
$73,780avg. a year
Annual salary · 95,200 employed
Special Education Teachers, Middle School in the U.S. earn an average of $73,780 a year and a median of $66,810. Pay is highest in California ($99,830) and lowest in South Dakota ($52,820).
$66,810Median pay
$73,780Average yearly
+11%Avg. pay since 2020
95,200Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for special education teachers, middle school
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
14,860 jobs
California
$99,830
a year
21,550 jobs
Washington
$97,240
a year
37,870 jobs
New York
$92,940
a year
4520 jobs
District of Columbia
$87,810
a year
51,260 jobs
Connecticut
$87,110
a year
63,110 jobs
Massachusetts
$87,040
a year
7380 jobs
Rhode Island
$83,910
a year
81,540 jobs
Maryland
$82,830
a year
95,660 jobs
New Jersey
$82,680
a year
10200 jobs
Alaska
$81,120
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, Middle 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–$67k$67k–$76k$76k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $112,040 | – |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $103,370 | – |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $102,930 | – |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $102,110 | – |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $101,470 | – |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $95,440 | – |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $94,790 | – |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $93,340 | – |
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, Kindergarten and Elementary School$72,650
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$77,260
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Middle 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 | $60,220 | $62,850 | 460 |
| Alaska | $81,120 | $81,000 | 200 |
| Arizona | $62,350 | $62,130 | 580 |
| Arkansas | $56,690 | $56,830 | 750 |
| California | $99,830 | $101,530 | 4,860 |
| Colorado | $71,610 | $66,130 | 2,020 |
| Connecticut | $87,110 | $92,900 | 1,260 |
| Delaware | $73,780 | $77,420 | – |
| District of Columbia | $87,810 | $79,170 | 520 |
| Florida | $60,410 | $60,440 | 2,630 |
| Georgia | $71,040 | $70,550 | 3,740 |
| Hawaii | $68,420 | $61,750 | 380 |
| Idaho | $61,630 | $60,170 | 300 |
| Illinois | $75,300 | $74,730 | 4,460 |
| Indiana | $60,670 | $58,900 | 1,070 |
| Iowa | $65,940 | $63,590 | 990 |
| Kansas | $60,480 | $59,780 | 550 |
| Kentucky | $58,160 | $60,200 | 1,530 |
| Louisiana | $57,420 | $59,420 | 1,130 |
| Maine | $66,100 | $63,440 | 310 |
| Maryland | $82,830 | $76,410 | 1,540 |
| Massachusetts | $87,040 | $84,550 | 3,110 |
| Michigan | $71,920 | $76,040 | 1,410 |
| Minnesota | $70,140 | $63,630 | 1,930 |
| Mississippi | $53,070 | $50,750 | 1,020 |
| Missouri | $54,340 | $50,370 | 1,050 |
| Montana | $63,270 | $63,960 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $65,740 | $63,460 | 680 |
| Nevada | $60,690 | $63,280 | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $67,090 | $66,760 | 650 |
| New Jersey | $82,680 | $79,110 | 5,660 |
| New Mexico | $72,820 | $74,440 | 1,090 |
| New York | $92,940 | $93,820 | 7,870 |
| North Carolina | $57,680 | $59,360 | 2,470 |
| North Dakota | $60,110 | $57,680 | 200 |
| Ohio | $73,110 | $74,590 | 7,540 |
| Oklahoma | $56,310 | $50,450 | 930 |
| Oregon | $75,670 | $78,360 | 590 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,460 | $77,040 | 3,710 |
| Rhode Island | $83,910 | $93,970 | 380 |
| South Carolina | $64,550 | $62,310 | 980 |
| South Dakota | $52,820 | $51,360 | 310 |
| Tennessee | $60,950 | $60,000 | 1,310 |
| Texas | $64,850 | $63,360 | 12,580 |
| Utah | $78,740 | $78,920 | 690 |
| Vermont | $72,150 | $73,110 | 470 |
| Virginia | $71,440 | $63,820 | 3,000 |
| Washington | $97,240 | $99,520 | 1,550 |
| West Virginia | $55,110 | $56,440 | 1,080 |
| Wisconsin | $69,270 | $65,840 | 2,650 |
| Wyoming | $64,940 | $62,770 | 330 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$94,790
8,330 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$68,190
5,610 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$79,540
3,190 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$80,580
2,780 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$83,690
2,540 jobsCleveland, OH
$79,890
2,490 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$77,310
2,200 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$86,050
2,150 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do special education teachers, middle school make?
The average is $73,780 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $66,810 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays special education teachers, middle school the most?
California, with an average of $99,830 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $112,040.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $49,420 a year, and the top 10% earn over $102,510.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-2057. 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.