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Special ed teacher salary
Average special ed teacher salary
$49,456
Understanding Special Ed Teacher Salaries
The role of a Special Ed Teacher is vital in fostering an inclusive learning environment for students with disabilities. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $49,456 annually. Geographic location plays a significant role in determining pay, with states like California and New York offering higher compensation due to the cost of living and demand for special education professionals.
Experience also influences salary; teachers with several years in the field can earn significantly more. For instance, educators in urban areas often receive additional incentives. In particular, cities such as San Francisco and Boston frequently report salaries exceeding the national average.
To gain insights into your potential earnings, consider factors like state funding for education and local district budgets. By understanding these dynamics, aspiring special education teachers can make informed career decisions that align with their financial goals.
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Where can a Special ED Teacher earn more?
Average special ed teacher salary by state
The average special ed teacher salary in Alaska, New York, and Michigan are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average special ed teacher salary states are Kansas, Arizona, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for special ed teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $62,293 | $29.95 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $71,937 | $34.59 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $61,438 | $29.54 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $55,947 | $26.90 |
| 5 | New York | $62,815 | $30.20 |
| 6 | Maryland | $58,734 | $28.24 |
| 7 | Alaska | $65,400 | $31.44 |
| 8 | Oregon | $57,616 | $27.70 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $56,205 | $27.02 |
| 10 | Washington | $58,508 | $28.13 |
| 11 | Illinois | $51,984 | $24.99 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $59,692 | $28.70 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $53,217 | $25.59 |
| 14 | Iowa | $52,494 | $25.24 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $47,749 | $22.96 |
| 16 | Ohio | $49,729 | $23.91 |
| 17 | Delaware | $50,819 | $24.43 |
| 18 | Nevada | $45,287 | $21.77 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $51,311 | $24.67 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $50,606 | $24.33 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $41,592 | $20.00 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $43,545 | $20.94 |
| 23 | Vermont | $44,960 | $21.62 |
| 24 | California | $53,204 | $25.58 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $40,710 | $19.57 |
| 26 | Idaho | $44,098 | $21.20 |
| 27 | Colorado | $44,251 | $21.27 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $43,061 | $20.70 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $46,041 | $22.14 |
| 30 | Missouri | $39,948 | $19.21 |
| 31 | Virginia | $44,699 | $21.49 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $42,284 | $20.33 |
| 33 | Montana | $37,925 | $18.23 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $39,877 | $19.17 |
| 35 | Indiana | $38,363 | $18.44 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $35,560 | $17.10 |
| 37 | Arizona | $34,884 | $16.77 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $40,129 | $19.29 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $37,919 | $18.23 |
| 40 | Georgia | $39,464 | $18.97 |
| 41 | Utah | $38,149 | $18.34 |
| 42 | Texas | $38,020 | $18.28 |
| 43 | Florida | $37,182 | $17.88 |
| 44 | Kansas | $35,330 | $16.99 |
| 45 | Maine | $38,226 | $18.38 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $32,727 | $15.73 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $31,452 | $15.12 |
| 48 | Alabama | $36,955 | $17.77 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $38,204 | $18.37 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $34,000 | $16.35 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $32,317 | $15.54 |
Highest paying cities for special ed teachers
The highest-paying cities for special ed teachers are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Santa Rosa, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $71,964 | $34.60 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $63,149 | $30.36 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $62,716 | $30.15 |
| 4 | Detroit, MI | $62,487 | $30.04 |
| 5 | Pittsburgh, PA | $61,101 | $29.38 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $59,464 | $28.59 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $58,957 | $28.34 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $53,363 | $25.66 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | $52,598 | $25.29 |
| 10 | Mentor, OH | $51,362 | $24.69 |
| 11 | Bismarck, ND | $50,771 | $24.41 |
| 12 | Virginia Beach, VA | $44,524 | $21.41 |
| 13 | Denver, CO | $44,282 | $21.29 |
| 14 | Nashua, NH | $44,193 | $21.25 |
| 15 | Beloit, WI | $42,612 | $20.49 |
| 16 | Aberdeen, SD | $42,219 | $20.30 |
| 17 | Bellevue, NE | $41,320 | $19.87 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $40,021 | $19.24 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $39,610 | $19.04 |
| 20 | Burleson, TX | $38,521 | $18.52 |
Special ed teacher salary details
A special ed teacher's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $71,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a special ed teacher's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| Average | $49,456 | $4,121 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying special ed teacher jobs
The highest paying types of special ed teachers are student teacher, special education teacher, and special educator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Internship | $48,398 | $4,033 | $23.27 | 105,496 |
| Long Term Substitute Teacher | $42,808 | $3,567 | $20.58 | 69,133 |
| Learning Support Teacher | $33,914 | $2,826 | $16.30 | 120,054 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $52,161 | $4,347 | $25.08 | 84,607 |
| 2nd Grade Teacher | $46,850 | $3,904 | $22.52 | 59,077 |
| 5th Grade Teacher | $46,300 | $3,858 | $22.26 | 57,358 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for special ed teachers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Patricia Rogan Ph.D.
Professor, Special Education/Urban Teacher Education, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis
Which companies pay special ed teachers the most?
Special ed teacher salaries at Whitby School and Oxnard Union High School District are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average special ed teacher salary at companies like Piedmont Unified School District and West Contra Costa Unified School District are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitby School | $68,324 | $32.85 |
| 2 | Oxnard Union High School District | $63,335 | $30.45 |
| 3 | Piedmont Unified School District | $62,862 | $30.22 |
| 4 | West Contra Costa Unified School District | $62,235 | $29.92 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa City Schools | $61,360 | $29.50 |
| 6 | Rowland Unified School District | $60,730 | $29.20 |
| 7 | DC International School | $60,699 | $29.18 |
| 8 | Paramount High School | $60,658 | $29.16 |
| 9 | Pasadena Unified School District | $60,492 | $29.08 |
| 10 | Sacramento City Unified School District | $57,544 | $27.67 |
| 11 | DC Prep | $57,260 | $27.53 |
| 12 | Forsyth Country Day School | $56,653 | $27.24 |
| 13 | Fullerton Joint Union High School District | $55,717 | $26.79 |
| 14 | Phillips Academy | $54,923 | $26.41 |
| 15 | Sweetwater Union High School District | $54,901 | $26.39 |
| 16 | Santa Monica High School | $54,576 | $26.24 |
| 17 | Chicago Public Schools | $52,500 | $25.24 |
| 18 | Broward County Public Schools | $51,958 | $24.98 |
| 19 | Baltimore City Public Schools | $51,773 | $24.89 |
| 20 | East Whittier City School District | $50,542 | $24.30 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Special ed teacher salary trends
The average special ed teacher salary has risen by $5,510 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average special ed teacher earned $43,946 annually, but today, they earn $49,456 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for special ed teachers over the last decade.
Compare special ed teacher salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average special ed teacher salary over time
Compare special ed teacher salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Special ed teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,500 | $23.78 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $49,300 | $23.71 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $48,500 | $23.29 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | $47,800 | $22.98 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $46,500 | $22.37 | +2.2% |
Recently added special ed teacher salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo ISD | Sp/Ed Teacher JH | Nome, TX | 06/28/2025 | $26,088 |
| Amergis | K-1 GEN ED Teacher! | Viera East, FL | 06/28/2025 | $79,306 |
| Arbor Associates | Special ED Teacher | Boston, MA | 06/27/2025 | $93,915 |
| Independent School District 518 | Substitute Special ED Transportation Para | Worthington, MN | 06/27/2025 | $44,474 |
| Crosby Independent School District (Tx | CMS: Special ED Behavioral (Pass) Teacher #1755 | Crosby, TX | 06/26/2025 | $64,650 |
| Crosby Indep School District | CMS: Special ED Behavioral (Pass) Teacher #1755 | Crosby, TX | 06/25/2025 | $64,650 |
| Special Needs Parents' Association San Francisco | Special ED Teacher | San Francisco, CA | 06/22/2025 | $69,525 |
| Connected Health Care, LLC | Special ED Teacher *UP To | Detroit, MI | 06/21/2025 | $114,785 |
| Crowley Independent School District (Tx | HS Special ED Teacher (Paes) | Crowley, TX | 06/20/2025 | $61,810 |
| Amergis | RMS. Special ED Teachers) | New Bedford, MA | 06/20/2025 | $104,350 |
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