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Early childhood special educator salary
Average early childhood special educator salary
$36,798
Average Early Childhood Special Educator Salary
The average salary for an Early Childhood Special Educator is $36,798 annually, translating to about $18 per hour. This figure may vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and specific job roles within the field. For instance, professionals in states like California and New York often earn higher wages due to the increased demand for skilled educators.
Salary by State
Understanding regional salary differences can help educators make informed career choices. For example, states like New York and California consistently rank among the highest-paying regions for early childhood special educators. Exploring local job markets can provide insights into specific opportunities and salary ranges.
Career Advancement Opportunities
With experience, educators may find opportunities to advance into roles such as program directors or special education consultants, often commanding higher salaries. Additionally, pursuing further education or certifications can enhance earning potential and open doors to leadership positions.
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Where can an Early Childhood Special Educator earn more?
Early childhood special educator salary estimates from across the web
Average early childhood special educator salary by state
The highest-paying states for early childhood special educators are New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. The lowest average early childhood special educator salary states are Mississippi, Utah, and Texas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for early childhood special educators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $42,207 | $20.29 |
| 2 | Delaware | $42,185 | $20.28 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $40,305 | $19.38 |
| 4 | Michigan | $39,567 | $19.02 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $42,177 | $20.28 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $42,606 | $20.48 |
| 7 | Vermont | $39,146 | $18.82 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $41,860 | $20.13 |
| 9 | New York | $42,511 | $20.44 |
| 10 | Ohio | $39,101 | $18.80 |
| 11 | Maine | $38,608 | $18.56 |
| 12 | Maryland | $41,338 | $19.87 |
| 13 | Indiana | $37,692 | $18.12 |
| 14 | Illinois | $38,096 | $18.32 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $35,790 | $17.21 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $38,309 | $18.42 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $41,195 | $19.81 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $38,655 | $18.58 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $37,033 | $17.80 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $40,891 | $19.66 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $33,992 | $16.34 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $35,684 | $17.16 |
| 23 | Iowa | $36,373 | $17.49 |
| 24 | Missouri | $33,723 | $16.21 |
| 25 | Virginia | $39,346 | $18.92 |
| 26 | Nevada | $31,653 | $15.22 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $31,450 | $15.12 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $34,996 | $16.82 |
| 29 | Montana | $32,486 | $15.62 |
| 30 | Arizona | $31,424 | $15.11 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $34,826 | $16.74 |
| 32 | Kansas | $32,338 | $15.55 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $30,783 | $14.80 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $30,523 | $14.67 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $30,241 | $14.54 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $32,467 | $15.61 |
| 37 | Idaho | $30,504 | $14.67 |
| 38 | Oregon | $31,154 | $14.98 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $31,815 | $15.30 |
| 40 | Colorado | $30,377 | $14.60 |
| 41 | Washington | $31,303 | $15.05 |
| 42 | California | $32,804 | $15.77 |
| 43 | Alaska | $30,029 | $14.44 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $29,841 | $14.35 |
| 45 | Alabama | $30,228 | $14.53 |
| 46 | Georgia | $30,812 | $14.81 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $29,422 | $14.15 |
| 48 | Texas | $29,671 | $14.26 |
| 49 | Utah | $29,756 | $14.31 |
| 50 | Florida | $28,975 | $13.93 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $29,469 | $14.17 |
Highest paying cities for early childhood special educators
The highest-paying cities for early childhood special educators are New York, NY, Baltimore, MD, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $42,669 | $20.51 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $41,579 | $19.99 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $41,130 | $19.77 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $40,999 | $19.71 |
| 5 | Alexandria, VA | $40,897 | $19.66 |
| 6 | Manchester, NH | $40,368 | $19.41 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $39,720 | $19.10 |
| 8 | Newark, OH | $39,179 | $18.84 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $38,306 | $18.42 |
| 10 | Roseville, MN | $37,077 | $17.83 |
| 11 | Saint Louis, MO | $34,705 | $16.69 |
| 12 | Asheville, NC | $33,658 | $16.18 |
| 13 | Daly City, CA | $33,475 | $16.09 |
| 14 | Greenville, SC | $32,718 | $15.73 |
| 15 | Salina, KS | $31,861 | $15.32 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $31,727 | $15.25 |
| 17 | Flagstaff, AZ | $31,288 | $15.04 |
| 18 | Auburn, WA | $31,286 | $15.04 |
| 19 | Idaho Falls, ID | $30,671 | $14.75 |
| 20 | Boulder, CO | $30,443 | $14.64 |
Early childhood special educator salary details
An early childhood special educator's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $58,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an early childhood special educator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| 75th Percentile | $46,000 | $3,833 | $22 |
| Average | $36,798 | $3,067 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying early childhood special educator jobs
The highest paying types of early childhood special educators are special education teacher, special educator, and head teacher.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-K Teacher | $40,301 | $3,358 | $19.38 | 60,464 |
| Teacher | $47,989 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 71,918 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $48,029 | $4,002 | $23.09 | 65,972 |
| Home Therapy Teacher | $48,651 | $4,054 | $23.39 | 102,412 |
| Head Teacher | $51,715 | $4,310 | $24.86 | 73,756 |
| Lead Teacher | $33,652 | $2,804 | $16.18 | 56,131 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for early childhood special educators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Dr. Bryan Carter Ph.D.
Director, Center for Digital Humanities, Associate Professor, Africana Studies, University of Arizona
Top companies hiring early childhood special educators now:
Which companies pay early childhood special educators the most?
Early childhood special educator salaries at Baltimore City Public Schools and Hawaii Pacific Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average early childhood special educator salary at companies like Chicago Public Schools and Grand Ledge High School are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore City Public Schools | $65,408 | $31.45 |
| 2 | Hawaii Pacific Health | $59,793 | $28.75 |
| 3 | Chicago Public Schools | $48,946 | $23.53 |
| 4 | Grand Ledge High School | $48,202 | $23.17 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Unified School District | $47,880 | $23.02 |
| 6 | Madera High School | $46,797 | $22.50 |
| 7 | The City University of New York | $44,974 | $21.62 |
| 8 | San Mateo County Office Of Education | $44,770 | $21.52 |
| 9 | University of Colorado Boulder | $44,335 | $21.31 |
| 10 | Carnegie Mellon University | $42,918 | $20.63 |
| 11 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $42,592 | $20.48 |
| 12 | The Opportunity Alliance | $42,370 | $20.37 |
| 13 | Cumberland County Schools | $42,076 | $20.23 |
| 14 | Jefferson Elementary School District | $40,894 | $19.66 |
| 15 | Rocky Mountain Prep | $40,632 | $19.53 |
| 16 | Soliant | $40,416 | $19.43 |
| 17 | Aspiranet | $38,592 | $18.55 |
| 18 | Muckleshoot Casino | $38,140 | $18.34 |
| 19 | Alexandria City Public Schools | $37,954 | $18.25 |
| 20 | Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County | $37,804 | $18.18 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Early childhood special educator salary trends
The average early childhood special educator salary has risen by $5,318 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average early childhood special educator earned $31,480 annually, but today, they earn $36,798 a year. That works out to a 17% change in pay for early childhood special educators over the last decade.
Compare early childhood special educator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average early childhood special educator salary over time
Compare early childhood special educator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Early childhood special educator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $36,800 | $17.69 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | $36,000 | $17.29 | +6.9% |
| 2024 | $33,500 | $16.09 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $32,100 | $15.46 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $31,400 | $15.12 | -2.9% |
Recently added early childhood special educator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair R-XIII School District | Early Childhood Special Education Teacher | Saint Clair, MO | 06/30/2025 | $40,000 |
| Osborn Elementary District | Early Childhood Special Education Teacher | Phoenix, AZ | 06/26/2025 | $50,000 |
| Dover-Eyota Public Schools | Early Childhood Education-Long Term Substitute | Nore, MN | 06/26/2025 | $51,465 |
| New London-Spicer School District 345 | Early Childhood Special Education (Ecse) Teacher-Long Term Substitute | Nore, MN | 06/25/2025 | $41,205 |
| Minnesota Service Cooperatives | Early Childhood Education-Long Term Substitute | Nore, MN | 06/24/2025 | $51,465 |
| Sioux Falls School District | Early Childhood (Ages 3 To 5) Special Education Teacher FTE | Sioux Falls, SD | 06/22/2025 | $52,821 |
| City of Norfolk | Early Childhood Special Educator-Infant and Toddler Connection | Ivy, VA | 06/21/2025 | $59,393 |
| Discovery Learning Center Steamboat Springs | Early Childhood Educator | Steamboat Springs, CO | 06/21/2025 | $48,001 |
| Soccer Shots | Early Childhood Educator Sports Coach | Saint Augustine, FL | 06/20/2025 | $41,740 |
| Clarkeschools | Early Childhood Special Educator | New York, NY | 06/20/2025 | $67,000 |
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