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Secondary special education teacher salary
Average secondary special education teacher salary
$52,709
Average Secondary Special Education Teacher Salary
The average salary for a Secondary Special Education Teacher in the United States stands at $52,709 per year. This figure reflects a range of factors, including state, years of experience, and specific institutions. For instance, teachers in urban districts often earn more than their rural counterparts.
Salary by State
In states like California and New York, salaries can exceed the national average, providing better compensation for educators. Understanding regional salary trends can help teachers negotiate their pay effectively.
Opportunities for Advancement
Special education teachers have diverse career paths available, including administrative roles or specialized educational programs. By pursuing advanced certifications or degrees, educators can enhance their qualifications and potentially increase their earning capacity. Additionally, teachers with several years of experience can command higher salaries, particularly in high-demand areas.
Conclusion
With the right qualifications and experience, Secondary Special Education Teachers can enjoy a fulfilling career with competitive salaries. Explore job opportunities that align with your aspirations and leverage available resources for professional growth.
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Where can a Secondary Special Education Teacher earn more?
Average secondary special education teacher salary by state
The highest-paying states for secondary special education teachers are Alaska, Massachusetts, and Maryland. The lowest average secondary special education teacher salary states are Louisiana, Montana, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for secondary special education teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $68,801 | $33.08 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $60,825 | $29.24 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $70,853 | $34.06 |
| 4 | Oregon | $66,641 | $32.04 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $73,621 | $35.39 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $60,143 | $28.91 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $60,022 | $28.86 |
| 8 | New York | $61,958 | $29.79 |
| 9 | Alaska | $78,981 | $37.97 |
| 10 | Washington | $64,627 | $31.07 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $55,208 | $26.54 |
| 12 | Delaware | $57,099 | $27.45 |
| 13 | Illinois | $54,952 | $26.42 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $61,708 | $29.67 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $52,128 | $25.06 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $61,044 | $29.35 |
| 17 | Vermont | $54,472 | $26.19 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $47,317 | $22.75 |
| 19 | Michigan | $48,975 | $23.55 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $57,356 | $27.57 |
| 21 | Ohio | $47,876 | $23.02 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $45,857 | $22.05 |
| 23 | Virginia | $53,068 | $25.51 |
| 24 | Georgia | $49,518 | $23.81 |
| 25 | California | $54,773 | $26.33 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,845 | $22.52 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $42,684 | $20.52 |
| 28 | Kansas | $45,947 | $22.09 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $45,905 | $22.07 |
| 30 | Florida | $47,291 | $22.74 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $47,532 | $22.85 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $44,517 | $21.40 |
| 33 | Maine | $47,024 | $22.61 |
| 34 | Nevada | $45,354 | $21.80 |
| 35 | Texas | $44,005 | $21.16 |
| 36 | Missouri | $39,893 | $19.18 |
| 37 | Idaho | $44,871 | $21.57 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $42,693 | $20.53 |
| 39 | Colorado | $41,858 | $20.12 |
| 40 | Indiana | $40,483 | $19.46 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $38,822 | $18.66 |
| 42 | Montana | $39,437 | $18.96 |
| 43 | Alabama | $42,769 | $20.56 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $40,256 | $19.35 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $42,689 | $20.52 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $38,496 | $18.51 |
| 47 | Utah | $39,747 | $19.11 |
| 48 | Arizona | $37,212 | $17.89 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $41,500 | $19.95 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $39,647 | $19.06 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,534 | $18.05 |
Highest paying cities for secondary special education teachers
The highest-paying cities for secondary special education teachers are Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $70,848 | $34.06 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $69,091 | $33.22 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $62,134 | $29.87 |
| 4 | Williston, ND | $61,502 | $29.57 |
| 5 | Richmond, CA | $60,831 | $29.25 |
| 6 | Eden Prairie, MN | $59,838 | $28.77 |
| 7 | Harvey, IL | $54,995 | $26.44 |
| 8 | Manassas, VA | $54,322 | $26.12 |
| 9 | Savannah, GA | $49,766 | $23.93 |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $47,335 | $22.76 |
| 11 | Kansas City, KS | $46,596 | $22.40 |
| 12 | Greenville, SC | $46,141 | $22.18 |
| 13 | Laredo, TX | $44,243 | $21.27 |
| 14 | Denver, CO | $41,937 | $20.16 |
| 15 | Wilson, NC | $41,694 | $20.05 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $39,790 | $19.13 |
| 17 | New Orleans, LA | $39,714 | $19.09 |
Secondary special education teacher salary details
A secondary special education teacher's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $70,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a secondary special education teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $70,000 | $5,833 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| Average | $52,709 | $4,392 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest paying secondary special education teacher jobs
The highest paying types of secondary special education teachers are director of special education, special education itinerant teacher, and special education coordinator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher | $47,989 | $3,999 | $23.07 | 71,918 |
| Resource Teacher | $43,487 | $3,624 | $20.91 | 73,796 |
| Learning Support Teacher | $33,914 | $2,826 | $16.30 | 120,054 |
| Learning Disabilities Teacher | $39,809 | $3,317 | $19.14 | 73,700 |
| Special Needs Teacher | $47,334 | $3,945 | $22.76 | 74,039 |
| Special Education Coordinator | $70,637 | $5,886 | $33.96 | 65,507 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for secondary special education teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Patricia Rogan Ph.D.
Professor, Special Education/Urban Teacher Education, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Top companies hiring secondary special education teachers now:
Which companies pay secondary special education teachers the most?
Secondary special education teacher salaries at Baltimore City Public Schools and Savannah-Chatham County Public School System are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average secondary special education teacher salary at companies like West Contra Costa Unified School District and Los Angeles Unified School District are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore City Public Schools | $72,089 | $34.66 |
| 2 | Savannah-Chatham County Public School System | $65,795 | $31.63 |
| 3 | West Contra Costa Unified School District | $65,096 | $31.30 |
| 4 | Los Angeles Unified School District | $60,409 | $29.04 |
| 5 | Salinas Union High School District | $59,766 | $28.73 |
| 6 | Marple Newtown SD | $58,691 | $28.22 |
| 7 | Cobb County School District | $58,606 | $28.18 |
| 8 | Prince George's County Memorial Library System | $57,401 | $27.60 |
| 9 | The Phelps School | $56,591 | $27.21 |
| 10 | West Covina USD | $56,318 | $27.08 |
| 11 | Mastery Charter Schools | $55,842 | $26.85 |
| 12 | Permian High School | $53,782 | $25.86 |
| 13 | Lionsgate Academy | $53,605 | $25.77 |
| 14 | Manassas City Public Schools Education Foundation | $53,296 | $25.62 |
| 15 | Wings Learning Center | $53,184 | $25.57 |
| 16 | Marlboro Central School District | $53,151 | $25.55 |
| 17 | Santa Clara County Office of Education | $53,131 | $25.54 |
| 18 | Garland Independent School District | $52,695 | $25.33 |
| 19 | Ithaca City School District | $52,604 | $25.29 |
| 20 | Edmond Public Schools | $52,445 | $25.21 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Secondary special education teacher salary trends
The average secondary special education teacher salary has risen by $5,872 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average secondary special education teacher earned $46,837 annually, but today, they earn $52,709 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for secondary special education teachers over the last decade.
Compare secondary special education teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average secondary special education teacher salary over time
Compare secondary special education teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Secondary special education teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $52,700 | $25.34 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | $52,600 | $25.27 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $51,600 | $24.83 | +1.3% |
| 2023 | $51,000 | $24.50 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $49,600 | $23.84 | +2.2% |
Recently added secondary special education teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poudre School District | Teacher Secondary Special Education-ILS-Significant Needs | Fort Collins, CO | 06/27/2025 | $58,000 |
| Aa009 | Sunrise School: Secondary Autistic Support Special Education Teacher | Monroeville, PA | 06/27/2025 | $48,510 |
| Chester County Intermediate Unit | Secondary Special Education Teacher-Chester County Youth Center | Downingtown, PA | 06/26/2025 | $69,938 |
| Uplift Education | Special Education Teacher Aide: Uplift Williams Secondary) | Nome, TX | 06/26/2025 | $41,323 |
| Downingtown Area School District | Teacher-Secondary-Special Education-Autistic Support | Downingtown, PA | 06/25/2025 | $50,000 |
| Orenda Charter School | Secondary Special Education Teacher-Gateway College Prep School, Georgetown Texas | Nome, TX | 06/18/2025 | $54,500 |
| Orenda Charter School District (Tx | Secondary Special Education Teacher-Gateway College Prep School, Georgetown Texas | Georgetown, TX | 06/17/2025 | $54,500 |
| Oregon Public Schools | Special Education Teacher-Secondary | Sutherlin, OR | 06/12/2025 | $51,134 |
| Sutherlin School District 130 | Special Education Teacher-Secondary | Ione, OR | 06/12/2025 | $51,134 |
| RFK Community Alliance | High School Math Teacher and/or Secondary Special Education Teacher | Lancaster, MA | 06/09/2025 | $6,000 |
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