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Best states for a special education teacher
Quoted expert
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and education, training, and library careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to special education teacher jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for special education teachers.In fact, our research shows that Maryland is the best state for special education teachers in America. The best city in America for special education teachers with the highest pay is Baltimore, MD.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for special education teachers. Maryland is the best state for special education teachers, where the median salary is $76,282.We found that the South is best for special education teachers, and the Northeast is the worst. Baltimore, MD is the best city in the country for special education teacher jobs, where as Maryland is the best state in the country.
10 best states for special education teachers in 2025
1. Maryland
Total special education teacher jobs: 1,062 Average annual salary: $76,282 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.33
2. Connecticut
Total special education teacher jobs: 580 Average annual salary: $60,497 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
3. District of Columbia
Total special education teacher jobs: 235 Average annual salary: $70,901 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.11
4. Wyoming
Total special education teacher jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $55,136 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 1.45
5. New York
Total special education teacher jobs: 1,681 Average annual salary: $63,837 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
6. New Jersey
Total special education teacher jobs: 1,372 Average annual salary: $59,716 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
7. Washington
Total special education teacher jobs: 798 Average annual salary: $64,030 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
8. Oregon
Total special education teacher jobs: 523 Average annual salary: $60,141 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1
9. Pennsylvania
Total special education teacher jobs: 1,775 Average annual salary: $54,260 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
10. Alaska
Total special education teacher jobs: 62 Average annual salary: $75,943 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 0.59
Special education teacher jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a special education teacher
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a special education teacher
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $76,282 | $54,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,062 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $60,497 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 580 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $70,901 | $50,000 | 693,972 | 235 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $55,136 | $41,000 | 579,315 | 109 |
| 5 | New York | $63,837 | $45,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,681 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $59,716 | $42,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,372 |
| 7 | Washington | $64,030 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 798 |
| 8 | Oregon | $60,141 | $43,000 | 4,142,776 | 523 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $54,260 | $38,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,775 |
| 10 | Alaska | $75,943 | $62,000 | 739,795 | 62 |
| 11 | Illinois | $53,005 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,014 |
| 12 | Nevada | $49,544 | $35,000 | 2,998,039 | 647 |
| 13 | Delaware | $55,178 | $39,000 | 961,939 | 167 |
| 14 | Ohio | $50,996 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,436 |
| 15 | Michigan | $49,911 | $35,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,270 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $58,846 | $42,000 | 6,859,819 | 935 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $55,311 | $39,000 | 1,059,639 | 127 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $47,264 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 417 |
| 19 | Virginia | $57,946 | $41,000 | 8,470,020 | 918 |
| 20 | California | $61,205 | $44,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,739 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $46,566 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 677 |
| 22 | Kansas | $48,446 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 358 |
| 23 | Missouri | $47,705 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 935 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $50,480 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 88 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $49,577 | $35,000 | 1,815,857 | 99 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $45,158 | $33,000 | 1,342,795 | 324 |
| 27 | Vermont | $46,129 | $34,000 | 623,657 | 127 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $46,953 | $34,000 | 5,576,606 | 877 |
| 29 | Georgia | $49,447 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 973 |
| 30 | Florida | $48,507 | $37,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,658 |
| 31 | Iowa | $45,427 | $33,000 | 3,145,711 | 380 |
| 32 | Texas | $45,510 | $34,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,201 |
| 33 | Colorado | $44,431 | $33,000 | 5,607,154 | 948 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $44,153 | $31,000 | 5,795,483 | 627 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $44,450 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 570 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $41,761 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 495 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $42,128 | $31,000 | 2,088,070 | 309 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $50,073 | $43,000 | 1,427,538 | 63 |
| 39 | Arizona | $40,759 | $30,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,086 |
| 40 | Idaho | $44,706 | $32,000 | 1,716,943 | 141 |
| 41 | Indiana | $40,958 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 836 |
| 42 | Alabama | $43,179 | $33,000 | 4,874,747 | 252 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $41,739 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 501 |
| 44 | Montana | $38,737 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 215 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $42,212 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,010 |
| 46 | Utah | $41,739 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 339 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $39,241 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 322 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $41,370 | $30,000 | 869,666 | 49 |
| 49 | Maine | $38,878 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 150 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $40,523 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 289 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $38,081 | $29,000 | 2,984,100 | 199 |
Highest paying states for special education teachers
| Rank | State | Avg. Special Education Teacher Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $76,282 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $60,497 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $70,901 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $55,136 |
| 5 | New York | $63,837 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $59,716 |
| 7 | Washington | $64,030 |
| 8 | Oregon | $60,141 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $54,260 |
| 10 | Alaska | $75,943 |
| 11 | Illinois | $53,005 |
| 12 | Nevada | $49,544 |
| 13 | Delaware | $55,178 |
| 14 | Ohio | $50,996 |
| 15 | Michigan | $49,911 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $58,846 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $55,311 |
| 18 | Nebraska | $47,264 |
| 19 | Virginia | $57,946 |
| 20 | California | $61,205 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $46,566 |
| 22 | Kansas | $48,446 |
| 23 | Missouri | $47,705 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $50,480 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $49,577 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $45,158 |
| 27 | Vermont | $46,129 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $46,953 |
| 29 | Georgia | $49,447 |
| 30 | Florida | $48,507 |
| 31 | Iowa | $45,427 |
| 32 | Texas | $45,510 |
| 33 | Colorado | $44,431 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $44,153 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $44,450 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $41,761 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $42,128 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $50,073 |
| 39 | Arizona | $40,759 |
| 40 | Idaho | $44,706 |
| 41 | Indiana | $40,958 |
| 42 | Alabama | $43,179 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $41,739 |
| 44 | Montana | $38,737 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $42,212 |
| 46 | Utah | $41,739 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $39,241 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $41,370 |
| 49 | Maine | $38,878 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $40,523 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $38,081 |
Expert opinions on the best states for special education teachers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for special education teachers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mark Williams Ph.D.
Professor, Calvin University
If you mean in the field(s) of classics, some private schools and academies are hiring (still) Latin and Greek teachers, especially in the South and Southwest. In the upper Midwest and Northeast, not so much.
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Updated January 8, 2025