Special Education Teachers, Secondary School pay in the U.S.
$77,260avg. a year
Annual salary · 163,930 employed
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School in the U.S. earn an average of $77,260 a year and a median of $74,260. Pay is highest in California ($102,780) and lowest in Mississippi ($54,230).
$74,260Median pay
$77,260Average yearly
+16%Avg. pay since 2020
163,930Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for special education teachers, secondary school
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
112,100 jobs
California
$102,780
a year
2440 jobs
District of Columbia
$101,340
a year
32,510 jobs
Washington
$97,960
a year
415,250 jobs
New York
$95,910
a year
51,560 jobs
Maryland
$89,120
a year
67,520 jobs
New Jersey
$88,760
a year
75,470 jobs
Massachusetts
$88,250
a year
89,490 jobs
Illinois
$86,150
a year
91,920 jobs
Connecticut
$85,660
a year
10830 jobs
Rhode Island
$83,100
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, Secondary 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 $63k$63k–$67k$67k–$77k$77k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $121,230 | – |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $110,740 | – |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $106,980 | – |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $105,440 | – |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $104,450 | – |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $102,040 | – |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $101,860 | – |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $100,710 | – |
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
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$72,680
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Secondary 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 | $63,200 | $62,210 | 740 |
| Alaska | $81,150 | $80,580 | 590 |
| Arizona | $71,690 | $64,300 | 1,960 |
| Arkansas | $57,110 | $57,000 | 1,280 |
| California | $102,780 | $101,060 | 12,100 |
| Colorado | $74,310 | $67,240 | 2,970 |
| Connecticut | $85,660 | $81,710 | 1,920 |
| Delaware | $74,760 | $78,490 | 1,160 |
| District of Columbia | $101,340 | $99,670 | 440 |
| Florida | $65,290 | $61,510 | 7,940 |
| Georgia | $73,780 | $74,150 | 4,090 |
| Hawaii | $69,780 | $65,980 | 800 |
| Idaho | $62,100 | $60,700 | 470 |
| Illinois | $86,150 | $79,890 | 9,490 |
| Indiana | $65,450 | $61,130 | 2,580 |
| Iowa | $63,800 | $60,780 | 1,570 |
| Kansas | $61,370 | $60,700 | 1,650 |
| Kentucky | $60,910 | $60,730 | 2,680 |
| Louisiana | $57,720 | $59,100 | 3,160 |
| Maine | $64,590 | $61,710 | 860 |
| Maryland | $89,120 | $93,530 | 1,560 |
| Massachusetts | $88,250 | $83,890 | 5,470 |
| Michigan | $77,810 | $78,050 | 2,570 |
| Minnesota | $76,720 | $76,600 | 4,130 |
| Mississippi | $54,230 | $51,970 | 1,670 |
| Missouri | $56,900 | $55,920 | 2,760 |
| Montana | $63,830 | $62,310 | 480 |
| Nebraska | $66,090 | $63,460 | 1,240 |
| Nevada | $63,920 | $60,810 | 350 |
| New Hampshire | $74,140 | $69,560 | 910 |
| New Jersey | $88,760 | $83,770 | 7,520 |
| New Mexico | $74,670 | $76,940 | 2,150 |
| New York | $95,910 | $89,310 | 15,250 |
| North Carolina | $55,540 | $56,770 | 3,400 |
| North Dakota | $62,880 | $61,210 | 520 |
| Ohio | $73,730 | $76,180 | 10,580 |
| Oklahoma | $60,070 | $59,660 | 2,020 |
| Oregon | $76,330 | $77,400 | 1,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,080 | $77,000 | 11,040 |
| Rhode Island | $83,100 | $92,990 | 830 |
| South Carolina | $66,510 | $62,150 | 1,780 |
| South Dakota | $54,290 | $54,810 | 500 |
| Tennessee | $61,990 | $61,360 | 2,010 |
| Texas | $66,450 | $64,830 | 10,200 |
| Utah | $65,640 | $64,210 | 1,220 |
| Vermont | $75,820 | $79,360 | 660 |
| Virginia | $75,200 | $68,400 | 6,380 |
| Washington | $97,960 | $101,120 | 2,510 |
| West Virginia | $56,350 | $55,390 | 840 |
| Wisconsin | $66,440 | $63,520 | 3,350 |
| Wyoming | $65,400 | $62,750 | 350 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$102,040
14,700 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$91,740
7,360 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$79,870
5,790 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$88,830
3,930 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$90,910
3,920 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$100,710
3,920 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$68,300
2,670 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$81,530
2,590 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do special education teachers, secondary school make?
The average is $77,260 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $74,260 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays special education teachers, secondary school the most?
California, with an average of $102,780 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA at $121,230.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $49,800 a year, and the top 10% earn over $109,100.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-2058. 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.