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Director of special education salary
Average director of special education salary
$80,520
Understanding the Salary of a Director of Special Education
A Director of Special Education plays an essential role in promoting inclusive education and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations. The average salary for this position is $80,520 per year, or about $39 an hour. This average can vary significantly based on several factors.
Factors Influencing Salary:
- Location: Salaries differ by state; for instance, directors in states like California and New York often earn more due to higher living costs.
- Experience: Those with extensive experience tend to earn higher salaries, reflecting their advanced skills and knowledge.
- School District Funding: Districts with larger budgets can offer more competitive salaries.
For a comprehensive understanding, it’s useful to explore salary estimates from various sources, including local job postings and industry reports. This helps prospective directors gauge their earning potential based on their unique circumstances.
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Where can a Director Of Special Education earn more?
Director of special education salary estimates from across the web
Average director of special education salary by state
The highest-paying states for directors of special education are Maryland, New Jersey, and California. The lowest average director of special education salary states are Mississippi, South Dakota, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for directors of special education
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $99,525 | $47.85 |
| 2 | Oregon | $102,210 | $49.14 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $108,902 | $52.36 |
| 4 | Maryland | $112,793 | $54.23 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $95,969 | $46.14 |
| 6 | Iowa | $83,187 | $39.99 |
| 7 | Wyoming | $83,489 | $40.14 |
| 8 | New York | $96,826 | $46.55 |
| 9 | California | $108,493 | $52.16 |
| 10 | Alaska | $94,438 | $45.40 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $99,448 | $47.81 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $90,105 | $43.32 |
| 13 | Vermont | $83,591 | $40.19 |
| 14 | Delaware | $87,799 | $42.21 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $90,562 | $43.54 |
| 16 | Nevada | $85,163 | $40.94 |
| 17 | Illinois | $82,330 | $39.58 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $79,568 | $38.25 |
| 19 | Washington | $85,716 | $41.21 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $72,511 | $34.86 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $76,915 | $36.98 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $71,434 | $34.34 |
| 23 | Alabama | $70,782 | $34.03 |
| 24 | Michigan | $71,847 | $34.54 |
| 25 | Florida | $82,877 | $39.84 |
| 26 | Missouri | $71,735 | $34.49 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $70,237 | $33.77 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $75,361 | $36.23 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $73,997 | $35.58 |
| 30 | Maine | $72,389 | $34.80 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $71,670 | $34.46 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $73,286 | $35.23 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $74,536 | $35.83 |
| 34 | Georgia | $74,996 | $36.06 |
| 35 | Arizona | $69,854 | $33.58 |
| 36 | Ohio | $66,959 | $32.19 |
| 37 | Colorado | $71,866 | $34.55 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $70,654 | $33.97 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $62,146 | $29.88 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $62,716 | $30.15 |
| 41 | Virginia | $72,948 | $35.07 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $60,630 | $29.15 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $65,421 | $31.45 |
| 44 | Utah | $67,373 | $32.39 |
| 45 | Idaho | $70,146 | $33.72 |
| 46 | Texas | $68,861 | $33.11 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $66,409 | $31.93 |
| 48 | Kansas | $65,736 | $31.60 |
| 49 | Montana | $57,700 | $27.74 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $62,336 | $29.97 |
| 51 | Indiana | $61,253 | $29.45 |
Highest paying cities for directors of special education
The highest-paying cities for directors of special education are Santa Clara, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | $118,506 | $56.97 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, PA | $100,307 | $48.22 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $99,474 | $47.82 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $97,062 | $46.66 |
| 5 | Olympia, WA | $86,248 | $41.47 |
| 6 | Gainesville, FL | $83,733 | $40.26 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $73,301 | $35.24 |
| 8 | Castle Rock, CO | $71,962 | $34.60 |
| 9 | Jefferson City, MO | $71,582 | $34.41 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $69,161 | $33.25 |
| 11 | Herriman, UT | $67,418 | $32.41 |
| 12 | Helena, MT | $58,295 | $28.03 |
Director of special education salary details
A director of special education's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a director of special education's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $80,520 | $6,710 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying director of special education jobs
The highest paying types of directors of special education are special education itinerant teacher, special education coordinator, and education director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Disabilities Teacher | $39,809 | $3,317 | $19.14 | 73,700 |
| Learning Support Teacher | $33,914 | $2,826 | $16.30 | 120,054 |
| Education Director | $62,123 | $5,177 | $29.87 | 24,774 |
| Special Needs Teacher | $47,334 | $3,945 | $22.76 | 74,039 |
| Special ED Teacher | $49,456 | $4,121 | $23.78 | 71,990 |
| Special Education Itinerant Teacher | $74,109 | $6,176 | $35.63 | 75,648 |
Top companies hiring directors of special education now:
Which companies pay directors of special education the most?
Director of special education salaries at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Silicon Valley Bank are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of special education salary at companies like board of education and Boulder Valley School District are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $112,058 | $53.87 |
| 2 | Silicon Valley Bank | $102,257 | $49.16 |
| 3 | board of education | $94,958 | $45.65 |
| 4 | Boulder Valley School District | $92,173 | $44.31 |
| 5 | Texas Association of School Boards | $88,559 | $42.58 |
| 6 | Boston Public Schools | $86,405 | $41.54 |
| 7 | Hinsdale Central High School | $85,160 | $40.94 |
| 8 | Madera County Superintendent of Schools | $84,084 | $40.42 |
| 9 | AlphaVista Services | $83,717 | $40.25 |
| 10 | Devereux Arizona | $82,959 | $39.88 |
| 11 | Spectrum Center Schools | $82,131 | $39.49 |
| 12 | Rainbow Acres | $79,047 | $38.00 |
| 13 | AchieveKids | $76,608 | $36.83 |
| 14 | Nyc Parks | $76,374 | $36.72 |
| 15 | Madera High School | $76,301 | $36.68 |
| 16 | NORTH DAVIS PREPARATORY ACADEMY | $75,306 | $36.20 |
| 17 | KIPP SoCal Public Schools | $75,042 | $36.08 |
| 18 | Zion Elementary School District 6 | $72,111 | $34.67 |
| 19 | Gwinnett County Board of Education | $70,458 | $33.87 |
| 20 | Athlos Academies | $68,435 | $32.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Director of special education salary trends
The average director of special education salary has risen by $8,970 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of special education earned $71,550 annually, but today, they earn $80,520 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for directors of special education over the last decade.
Compare director of special education salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average director of special education salary over time
Compare director of special education salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Director of special education salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,500 | $38.71 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $80,300 | $38.61 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $78,900 | $37.93 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $77,800 | $37.42 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $75,800 | $36.43 | +2.2% |
Recently added director of special education salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get It Recruit-Educational Services | Special Education Director-Remote | WFH | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Ohio Department of Education | Director of Special Education | Enon, OH | 06/28/2025 | $93,534 |
| Klein ISD (Tx | Secretary-Director of Special Education | Nome, TX | 06/27/2025 | $36,481 |
| Klein Independent School District | Secretary-Director of Special Education | Nome, TX | 06/26/2025 | $36,481 |
| South Washington County Schools Isd 833 | Director of Special Education | Cottage Grove, MN | 06/26/2025 | $148,137 |
| Community Unit School District No | Director of Special Education (K-8) and DHH | Kane, IL | 06/26/2025 | $120,000 |
| Espanola Public Schools | Assistant Director of Special Education | Espanola, NM | 06/25/2025 | $68,640 |
| Whitehall-Coplay School District | Director of Special Education (Salary Range) | Kane, PA | 06/24/2025 | $135,000 |
| Pearsall ISD | Director of Special Education (Cluster XII Special ED Co-Op) | Nome, TX | 06/21/2025 | $85,514 |
| Mid-Michigan Area Public Schools Consortium | Director of Center Programs and Special Education Services | Bowne, MI | 06/19/2025 | $100,000 |
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