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Best states for a secondary special education teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Michelle Powers
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for secondary special education teachers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for secondary special education teacher jobs.In order to help you decide which state is the best for secondary special education teachers, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for secondary special education teacher jobs.
In order to get you the best states for secondary special education teachers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a secondary special education teacher, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for secondary special education teachers in 2026
1. Maryland
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 848 Average annual salary: $68,801 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
2. Pennsylvania
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 1,656 Average annual salary: $60,825 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
3. District of Columbia
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 203 Average annual salary: $70,853 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
4. Oregon
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 461 Average annual salary: $66,641 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
5. Massachusetts
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 830 Average annual salary: $73,621 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
6. New Jersey
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 1,167 Average annual salary: $60,143 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.38
7. Minnesota
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 803 Average annual salary: $60,022 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
8. New York
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 1,410 Average annual salary: $61,958 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
9. Alaska
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $78,981 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
10. Washington
Total secondary special education teacher jobs: 692 Average annual salary: $64,627 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
Secondary special education teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a secondary special education teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a secondary special education teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $68,801 | $49,000 | 6,052,177 | 848 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $60,825 | $44,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,656 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $70,853 | $51,000 | 693,972 | 203 |
| 4 | Oregon | $66,641 | $46,000 | 4,142,776 | 461 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $73,621 | $54,000 | 6,859,819 | 830 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $60,143 | $43,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,167 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $60,022 | $43,000 | 5,576,606 | 803 |
| 8 | New York | $61,958 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,410 |
| 9 | Alaska | $78,981 | $63,000 | 739,795 | 62 |
| 10 | Washington | $64,627 | $44,000 | 7,405,743 | 692 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $55,208 | $39,000 | 579,315 | 81 |
| 12 | Delaware | $57,099 | $41,000 | 961,939 | 155 |
| 13 | Illinois | $54,952 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,744 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $61,708 | $44,000 | 3,588,184 | 314 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $52,128 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 249 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $61,044 | $43,000 | 755,393 | 58 |
| 17 | Vermont | $54,472 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 83 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $47,317 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 369 |
| 19 | Michigan | $48,975 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,035 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $57,356 | $41,000 | 1,059,639 | 94 |
| 21 | Ohio | $47,876 | $34,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,365 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $45,857 | $33,000 | 4,454,189 | 610 |
| 23 | Virginia | $53,068 | $38,000 | 8,470,020 | 809 |
| 24 | Georgia | $49,518 | $36,000 | 10,429,379 | 868 |
| 25 | California | $54,773 | $38,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,406 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,845 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 316 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $42,684 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 451 |
| 28 | Kansas | $45,947 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 305 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $45,905 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 456 |
| 30 | Florida | $47,291 | $35,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,493 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $47,532 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 66 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $44,517 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 565 |
| 33 | Maine | $47,024 | $34,000 | 1,335,907 | 102 |
| 34 | Nevada | $45,354 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 193 |
| 35 | Texas | $44,005 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,972 |
| 36 | Missouri | $39,893 | $29,000 | 6,113,532 | 857 |
| 37 | Idaho | $44,871 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 131 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $42,693 | $31,000 | 6,715,984 | 474 |
| 39 | Colorado | $41,858 | $30,000 | 5,607,154 | 767 |
| 40 | Indiana | $40,483 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 750 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $38,822 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 285 |
| 42 | Montana | $39,437 | $27,000 | 1,050,493 | 162 |
| 43 | Alabama | $42,769 | $31,000 | 4,874,747 | 200 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $40,256 | $29,000 | 10,273,419 | 915 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $42,689 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 48 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $38,496 | $28,000 | 3,004,279 | 278 |
| 47 | Utah | $39,747 | $28,000 | 3,101,833 | 300 |
| 48 | Arizona | $37,212 | $27,000 | 7,016,270 | 605 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $41,500 | $33,000 | 1,427,538 | 38 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $39,647 | $29,000 | 4,684,333 | 236 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,534 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 148 |
Highest paying states for secondary special education teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Secondary Special Education Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $68,801 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $60,825 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $70,853 |
| 4 | Oregon | $66,641 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $73,621 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $60,143 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $60,022 |
| 8 | New York | $61,958 |
| 9 | Alaska | $78,981 |
| 10 | Washington | $64,627 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $55,208 |
| 12 | Delaware | $57,099 |
| 13 | Illinois | $54,952 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $61,708 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $52,128 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $61,044 |
| 17 | Vermont | $54,472 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $47,317 |
| 19 | Michigan | $48,975 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $57,356 |
| 21 | Ohio | $47,876 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $45,857 |
| 23 | Virginia | $53,068 |
| 24 | Georgia | $49,518 |
| 25 | California | $54,773 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,845 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $42,684 |
| 28 | Kansas | $45,947 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $45,905 |
| 30 | Florida | $47,291 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $47,532 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $44,517 |
| 33 | Maine | $47,024 |
| 34 | Nevada | $45,354 |
| 35 | Texas | $44,005 |
| 36 | Missouri | $39,893 |
| 37 | Idaho | $44,871 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $42,693 |
| 39 | Colorado | $41,858 |
| 40 | Indiana | $40,483 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $38,822 |
| 42 | Montana | $39,437 |
| 43 | Alabama | $42,769 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $40,256 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $42,689 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $38,496 |
| 47 | Utah | $39,747 |
| 48 | Arizona | $37,212 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $41,500 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $39,647 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $37,534 |
Expert opinions on the best states for secondary special education teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for secondary special education teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Michelle Powers
Assistant Professor of Special Education, Augustana University
The field of education, including special education, is full of incredible and rewarding work opportunities, across the US, for new graduates. As our current teaching workforce begins to reach the age of retirement, more and more options are going to emerge. Whether you want to stay in your community or reach out for a new adventure, school districts need skilled professionals to lead their classrooms. Sometimes, places that recent graduates might not consider beginning their careers can turn out to be a great fit. Smaller, more rural communities embrace young professionals and can give them mentoring and support to grow their skills and expertise. I am unsure if new professionals consider the Midwest and the opportunities we present for them, but I would encourage any recent graduate to look at these areas. The school systems here are excellent, more diverse than you might expect, and are doing some fantastic things in their classrooms that would be exciting and rewarding for anyone who loves teaching.
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Updated January 8, 2025