Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a special education coordinator
Quoted expert
Dr. Michelle Powers
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for special education coordinators in the United States. Special education coordinator positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for special education coordinators.As special education coordinators are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for special education coordinators. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a special education coordinator, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
The median salary for special education coordinators in Pennsylvania is $85,957. Compare that to the median salary in Mississippi of $54,377, which ranked worst for special education coordinators, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the South is best for special education coordinators, and the Northeast is the worst. Oakland, CA is the best city in the country for special education coordinator jobs, where as Pennsylvania is the best state in the country.
10 best states for special education coordinators in 2026
1. Pennsylvania
Total special education coordinator jobs: 1,011 Average annual salary: $85,957 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
2. Rhode Island
Total special education coordinator jobs: 232 Average annual salary: $77,115 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000 Location Quotient: 2.87
3. Alaska
Total special education coordinator jobs: 64 Average annual salary: $87,631 Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. Wyoming
Total special education coordinator jobs: 153 Average annual salary: $73,207 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 3.85
5. Connecticut
Total special education coordinator jobs: 323 Average annual salary: $82,281 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $123,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
6. New York
Total special education coordinator jobs: 772 Average annual salary: $90,635 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
7. California
Total special education coordinator jobs: 1,345 Average annual salary: $101,245 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 0.69
8. Massachusetts
Total special education coordinator jobs: 427 Average annual salary: $91,062 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
9. New Jersey
Total special education coordinator jobs: 426 Average annual salary: $88,210 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
10. Oregon
Total special education coordinator jobs: 312 Average annual salary: $80,998 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
Special education coordinator jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a special education coordinator
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a special education coordinator
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $85,957 | $57,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,011 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $77,115 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 232 |
| 3 | Alaska | $87,631 | $69,000 | 739,795 | 64 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $73,207 | $50,000 | 579,315 | 153 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $82,281 | $54,000 | 3,588,184 | 323 |
| 6 | New York | $90,635 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 772 |
| 7 | California | $101,245 | $67,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,345 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $91,062 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 427 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $88,210 | $58,000 | 9,005,644 | 426 |
| 10 | Oregon | $80,998 | $54,000 | 4,142,776 | 312 |
| 11 | Vermont | $70,646 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 191 |
| 12 | Delaware | $70,730 | $46,000 | 961,939 | 235 |
| 13 | Michigan | $70,941 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 586 |
| 14 | Maryland | $81,205 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 379 |
| 15 | Washington | $78,138 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 419 |
| 16 | Illinois | $72,143 | $49,000 | 12,802,023 | 907 |
| 17 | Colorado | $74,043 | $51,000 | 5,607,154 | 409 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $64,990 | $45,000 | 755,393 | 154 |
| 19 | Ohio | $68,257 | $45,000 | 11,658,609 | 875 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $64,070 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 266 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $78,131 | $51,000 | 693,972 | 134 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $67,738 | $45,000 | 1,342,795 | 183 |
| 23 | Nevada | $69,903 | $46,000 | 2,998,039 | 131 |
| 24 | Iowa | $72,403 | $49,000 | 3,145,711 | 137 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $69,188 | $47,000 | 5,576,606 | 348 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $61,884 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 553 |
| 27 | Alabama | $61,161 | $42,000 | 4,874,747 | 571 |
| 28 | Maine | $61,038 | $41,000 | 1,335,907 | 256 |
| 29 | Missouri | $63,162 | $43,000 | 6,113,532 | 561 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $60,630 | $41,000 | 2,088,070 | 369 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $61,287 | $42,000 | 1,920,076 | 245 |
| 32 | Idaho | $60,481 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 237 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $64,178 | $43,000 | 5,024,369 | 184 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $61,271 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 293 |
| 35 | Florida | $66,093 | $45,000 | 20,984,400 | 569 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $70,291 | $53,000 | 1,427,538 | 43 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $63,464 | $42,000 | 10,273,419 | 387 |
| 38 | Georgia | $64,550 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 344 |
| 39 | Arizona | $59,223 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 590 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $57,417 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 390 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $53,475 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 137 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $53,178 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 569 |
| 43 | Virginia | $62,799 | $41,000 | 8,470,020 | 371 |
| 44 | Utah | $57,894 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 198 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $54,670 | $37,000 | 3,004,279 | 195 |
| 46 | Kansas | $57,870 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 132 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $58,601 | $40,000 | 4,684,333 | 118 |
| 48 | Texas | $58,737 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 713 |
| 49 | Montana | $48,543 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 88 |
| 50 | Indiana | $53,553 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 347 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $54,377 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 95 |
Highest paying states for special education coordinators
| Rank | State | Avg. Special Education Coordinator Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $85,957 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $77,115 |
| 3 | Alaska | $87,631 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $73,207 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $82,281 |
| 6 | New York | $90,635 |
| 7 | California | $101,245 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $91,062 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $88,210 |
| 10 | Oregon | $80,998 |
| 11 | Vermont | $70,646 |
| 12 | Delaware | $70,730 |
| 13 | Michigan | $70,941 |
| 14 | Maryland | $81,205 |
| 15 | Washington | $78,138 |
| 16 | Illinois | $72,143 |
| 17 | Colorado | $74,043 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $64,990 |
| 19 | Ohio | $68,257 |
| 20 | West Virginia | $64,070 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $78,131 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $67,738 |
| 23 | Nevada | $69,903 |
| 24 | Iowa | $72,403 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $69,188 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $61,884 |
| 27 | Alabama | $61,161 |
| 28 | Maine | $61,038 |
| 29 | Missouri | $63,162 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $60,630 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $61,287 |
| 32 | Idaho | $60,481 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $64,178 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $61,271 |
| 35 | Florida | $66,093 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $70,291 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $63,464 |
| 38 | Georgia | $64,550 |
| 39 | Arizona | $59,223 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $57,417 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $53,475 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $53,178 |
| 43 | Virginia | $62,799 |
| 44 | Utah | $57,894 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $54,670 |
| 46 | Kansas | $57,870 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $58,601 |
| 48 | Texas | $58,737 |
| 49 | Montana | $48,543 |
| 50 | Indiana | $53,553 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $54,377 |
Expert opinions on the best states for special education coordinators
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for special education coordinators 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.
Special education coordinator best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
Search for special education coordinator jobs
Updated January 8, 2025