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Best states for a kindergarten special education teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
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Kindergarten special education teacher opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for kindergarten special education teachers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for kindergarten special education teachers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for kindergarten special education teachers. We found that Pennsylvania is the best state in the nation for kindergarten special education teachers, and people in Dartmouth earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for kindergarten special education teachers.We found that Pennsylvania is the best state for kindergarten special education teacher jobs, whereas Louisiana is the worst.
10 best states for kindergarten special education teachers in 2026
1. Pennsylvania
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 1,666 Average annual salary: $55,533 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
2. District of Columbia
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 213 Average annual salary: $65,967 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
3. Oregon
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 467 Average annual salary: $60,942 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
4. New York
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 1,444 Average annual salary: $62,253 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1
5. Massachusetts
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 850 Average annual salary: $64,952 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
6. New Jersey
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 1,255 Average annual salary: $54,598 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
7. Maryland
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 912 Average annual salary: $56,065 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
8. Connecticut
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 444 Average annual salary: $55,560 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
9. Wyoming
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 85 Average annual salary: $52,762 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
10. Minnesota
Total kindergarten special education teacher jobs: 806 Average annual salary: $54,637 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
Kindergarten special education teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a kindergarten special education teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a kindergarten special education teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $55,533 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,666 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $65,967 | $48,000 | 693,972 | 213 |
| 3 | Oregon | $60,942 | $46,000 | 4,142,776 | 467 |
| 4 | New York | $62,253 | $46,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,444 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $64,952 | $50,000 | 6,859,819 | 850 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $54,598 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,255 |
| 7 | Maryland | $56,065 | $41,000 | 6,052,177 | 912 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $55,560 | $41,000 | 3,588,184 | 444 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $52,762 | $41,000 | 579,315 | 85 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $54,637 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 806 |
| 11 | Nevada | $47,869 | $35,000 | 2,998,039 | 483 |
| 12 | Washington | $56,539 | $44,000 | 7,405,743 | 716 |
| 13 | Delaware | $52,566 | $38,000 | 961,939 | 168 |
| 14 | Alaska | $60,681 | $53,000 | 739,795 | 63 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $54,748 | $44,000 | 755,393 | 59 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $44,126 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 620 |
| 17 | Ohio | $44,766 | $33,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,390 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $44,481 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 371 |
| 19 | Michigan | $44,600 | $33,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,112 |
| 20 | Illinois | $45,187 | $33,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,921 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $51,252 | $39,000 | 1,059,639 | 94 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $45,139 | $35,000 | 1,342,795 | 264 |
| 23 | California | $55,260 | $40,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,478 |
| 24 | Virginia | $50,568 | $37,000 | 8,470,020 | 837 |
| 25 | Georgia | $47,540 | $36,000 | 10,429,379 | 884 |
| 26 | Kansas | $44,440 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 307 |
| 27 | Vermont | $45,639 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 85 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $55,778 | $48,000 | 1,427,538 | 40 |
| 29 | Texas | $44,759 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,981 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $45,085 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 68 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $41,616 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 455 |
| 32 | Iowa | $43,624 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 322 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $43,780 | $32,000 | 5,024,369 | 477 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $39,957 | $30,000 | 2,088,070 | 300 |
| 35 | Florida | $43,527 | $33,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,514 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $41,456 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 483 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $40,925 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 575 |
| 38 | Colorado | $41,522 | $31,000 | 5,607,154 | 801 |
| 39 | Arizona | $39,908 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 835 |
| 40 | Missouri | $38,331 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 864 |
| 41 | Idaho | $41,805 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 132 |
| 42 | Indiana | $38,165 | $28,000 | 6,666,818 | 749 |
| 43 | Alabama | $41,102 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 202 |
| 44 | Montana | $35,055 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 167 |
| 45 | Utah | $39,721 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 290 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $38,384 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 948 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $37,349 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 278 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $39,315 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 53 |
| 49 | Maine | $38,731 | $31,000 | 1,335,907 | 102 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $36,172 | $27,000 | 2,984,100 | 146 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $35,249 | $27,000 | 4,684,333 | 239 |
Highest paying states for kindergarten special education teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Kindergarten Special Education Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $55,533 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $65,967 |
| 3 | Oregon | $60,942 |
| 4 | New York | $62,253 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $64,952 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $54,598 |
| 7 | Maryland | $56,065 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $55,560 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $52,762 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $54,637 |
| 11 | Nevada | $47,869 |
| 12 | Washington | $56,539 |
| 13 | Delaware | $52,566 |
| 14 | Alaska | $60,681 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $54,748 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $44,126 |
| 17 | Ohio | $44,766 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $44,481 |
| 19 | Michigan | $44,600 |
| 20 | Illinois | $45,187 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $51,252 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $45,139 |
| 23 | California | $55,260 |
| 24 | Virginia | $50,568 |
| 25 | Georgia | $47,540 |
| 26 | Kansas | $44,440 |
| 27 | Vermont | $45,639 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $55,778 |
| 29 | Texas | $44,759 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $45,085 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $41,616 |
| 32 | Iowa | $43,624 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $43,780 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $39,957 |
| 35 | Florida | $43,527 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $41,456 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $40,925 |
| 38 | Colorado | $41,522 |
| 39 | Arizona | $39,908 |
| 40 | Missouri | $38,331 |
| 41 | Idaho | $41,805 |
| 42 | Indiana | $38,165 |
| 43 | Alabama | $41,102 |
| 44 | Montana | $35,055 |
| 45 | Utah | $39,721 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $38,384 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $37,349 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $39,315 |
| 49 | Maine | $38,731 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $36,172 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $35,249 |
Expert opinions on the best states for kindergarten special education teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for kindergarten special education teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
If you mean in the field(s) of classics, some private schools and academies are hiring (still) Latin and Greek teachers, especially in the South and Southwest. In the upper Midwest and Northeast, not so much.
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Updated January 8, 2025