Special Education Teacher Salaries Across the United States

Special education teachers play a crucial role in the American education system, providing tailored instruction and support to students with diverse learning needs. These dedicated professionals work with students from preschool through high school who have mental, emotional, physical, or learning disabilities. Given the critical nature of their work, it's essential to understand the factors influencing their compensation. Special education salaries vary widely from state to state for a multitude of reasons, but the two biggest factors are the cost of living and the employment level of special education teachers per a thousand jobs.

The Role of Special Education Teachers

Special education teachers adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects to students with mild to moderate disabilities. They may teach students in small groups or on a one-on-one basis, helping them develop study skills, such as highlighting text and using flashcards. Others work with students who have physical disabilities and may use a wheelchair or other adaptive devices. Still others work with students who have sensory disabilities, such as visual or hearing impairments.

These teachers collaborate with general education teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Students’ IEPs outline their goals, including academic or behavioral milestones, and services they are to receive, such as speech therapy. Special education teachers must be comfortable using and learning new technology. Most use computers to keep records of their students’ performance, prepare lesson plans, and update IEPs.

Some special education teachers work in classrooms or resource centers that include only students with disabilities. In these settings, teachers plan, adapt, and present lessons to meet each student’s needs. In inclusive classrooms, special education teachers instruct students with disabilities who are in general education classrooms. Some special education teachers work with students who have moderate to severe disabilities. These teachers help students, who may be eligible for services until age 21, develop basic life skills. Some teach the skills necessary for students with moderate disabilities to live independently, find a job, and manage money and their time.

National Salary Overview

The median annual wage for special education teachers was $64,270 in May 2024. However, this figure represents a national average, and actual salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and education level. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), special education teachers earned an average, annual salary of $61,030, as of May 2019. By 2029, the number of working in preschools around the country will grow by 14,300.

As expected, average salaries for special education teachers don’t vary a whole lot according to grade level:

Preschool special education teachers: $60,000
Kindergarten/elementary special education teachers: $60,460
Middle school special education teachers: $61,440
High school special education teachers: $61,710

The average salary for special education teachers is also similar to that of general education teachers at the elementary ($59,670), middle ($59,660), and high school levels ($61,660).

Factors Influencing Salary

Several factors contribute to the variations in special education teacher salaries across the United States:

Location: Salaries are heavily influenced by the cost of living in a particular area. States with higher costs of living, such as California and New York, tend to offer higher salaries to compensate for the increased expenses.
Experience and Education: As with most professions, experience and education level play a significant role in determining salary. Teachers with advanced degrees and years of experience typically earn more than those with less experience and education.
Grade Level: Salaries can vary slightly depending on the grade level taught, with high school special education teachers sometimes earning slightly more than those teaching at the preschool or elementary level.
Demand: The demand for special education teachers in a particular area can also impact salaries. Areas with shortages of qualified teachers may offer higher salaries and incentives to attract and retain talent.

State-by-State Salary Guide

Let’s start with the big picture. On average, special education teacher salaries jump around a lot depending on where you live. However, of course, rent and groceries aren’t the same either. The Northeast is where you’ll usually find the highest paychecks. New York and New Jersey top the charts, but the cost of living there can wipe out some of that advantage (try finding an affordable apartment in Manhattan. In the Southeast, salaries tend to be lower than the national average. It’s not all bad news though. Living expenses are usually lower too, so your paycheck can stretch a bit further. The Midwest is kind of a mixed bag. Some states pay fairly well compared to their cost of living, but others lag behind. The Southwest is interesting because demand is high and salaries vary a ton from state to state. The West Coast tends to lead with higher salaries (California especially). But the trade-off is sky-high living costs. This is the “everywhere else” section. States that don’t fit neatly into the other regions. Think Vermont, Idaho, or Montana. They still matter, of course, and their salary data might surprise you.

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According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, California has the highest average salary at $80,370. The District of Columbia, New York, Oregon, and Connecticut fill out the rest of the top 5.

The top-paying states for special education teachers, according to grade level, include:

Preschool
- New York: $89,930
- Oregon: $77,320
- Rhode Island: $72,750
- Connecticut: $70,400
- Montana: $68,960
Kindergarten and Elementary School
- California: $80,370
- Washington D.C.: $78,830
- New York: $77,840
- Oregon: $76,880
- Connecticut: $76,780
Middle School
- New York: $87,440
- Connecticut: $80,370
- Washington D.C.: $80,080
- Maryland: $78,190
- Alaska: $77,740
High School
- New York: $83,890
- California: $83,000
- Maryland: $80,800
- Oregon: $79,460
- Washington D.C.: $79,010

The following BLS stats highlight what special educator teachers (at the kindergarten/elementary school level) were earning at the 50th - 90th percentile as of May 2019:

Alabama: $52,550 - $63,510
Alaska: $72,860 - $100,670
Arizona: $45,720 - $62,880
Arkansas: $49,050 - $63,580
California: $77,470 - $118,210
Colorado: $52,610 - $79,180
Connecticut: $77,990 - $102,690
Delaware: $57,990 - $80,570
District of Columbia: $76,660 - $118,620
Florida: $64,040 - $86,430
Georgia: $59,920 - $85,680
Hawaii: $57,580 - $76,900
Idaho: $46,880 - $75,490
Illinois: $61,590 - $98,230
Indiana: $49,550 - $79,490
Iowa: $55,320 - $81,750
Kansas: $52,760 - $73,190
Kentucky: $52,780 - $65,290
Louisiana: $49,350 - $61,700
Maine: $51,210 - $73,660
Maryland: $69,620 - $108,470
Massachusetts: $72,550 - $110,890
Michigan: $63,330 - $98,220
Minnesota: $58,730 - $85,140
Mississippi: $46,770 - $64,810
Missouri: $54,260 - $96,630
Montana: $49,270 - $73,540
Nebraska: $58,490 - $81,140
Nevada: $52,970 - $74,570
New Hampshire: $59,350 - $80,210
New Jersey: $67,060 - $99,170
New Mexico: $51,390 - $77,900
New York: $78,810 - $120,610
North Carolina: $49,390 - $66,290
North Dakota: $57,820 - $85,040
Ohio: $56,670 - $82,100
Oklahoma: $47,030 - $74,330
Oregon: $76,330 - $118,160
Pennsylvania: $64,210 - $94,340
Rhode Island: $77,930 - $98,890
South Carolina: $58,470 - $87,670
South Dakota: $44,300 - $59,480
Tennessee $52,630 - $72,120
Texas: $57,390 - $72,710
Utah: $43,620 - $81,870
Vermont: $60,690 - $86,110
Virginia: $64,040 - $102,140
Washington: $68,150 - $93,220
West Virginia: $42,820 - $58,480
Wisconsin: $54,700 - $81,070
Wyoming: $60,470 - $77,870

These figures represent accumulated data for all employment sectors in which kindergarten and elementary special education teachers work and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries.

Areas with Strong Opportunities

Beyond just salary, certain locations offer particularly attractive environments for special education teachers due to a combination of factors like job opportunities, wages, and student-to-staff ratios. A few examples include:

Camden, New Jersey: Boasting impressive scores across all categories, with great job opportunities, high wages and positive staff to student ratios.
Atlantic City, New Jersey: Well known for its beaches, casinos, and boardwalks, you may be surprised to learn that Atlantic City, on New Jersey’s Jersey Shore, offers some of the best opportunities for special education teachers.
Billings, Montana: When it comes to job opportunities, Billings has the highest concentration of special education teaching jobs in the country.
Nassau County: With the best score for wages in the country helped by a low cost of living, students also benefit from low student to teacher ratios - meaning more one on one time for students and less stress for teachers.
New Haven, Connecticut: The home of the prestigious Ivy League college, Yale, this picturesque coastal town is well known as the home of academics and professors. It’s also a fantastic environment for special education teachers and students to work and learn.

Other cities that may offer good opportunities include:

Bridgeport, Connecticut
Glens Falls
Lewiston, Maine

A strong employment score means there are plenty of opportunities for teachers working in special education in this Massachusetts town. Maine’s second-biggest city has a below-average cost of living and benefits from a good level of state-level funding for special education students. It also has the strongest student to teacher ratio score in our top 10. Just above its Connecticut neighbor is the former manufacturing hub, Bridgeport.

Shortages and Demand

Rising numbers of autism, ADHD other diagnoses are helping drive the demand for special education services throughout the nation, putting an unprecedented strain on our nation’s schools to attract and retain special ed teachers. And while this is creating some real challenges for schools to overcome, for aspiring and practicing special education teachers, it simply means better opportunities to lock in a great position with the district of their choosing. While teachers in just about every subject and grade level are dealing with the challenges of having to pick and move to a new area where they’re lucky enough to land a position, special educators often find themselves with multiple offers to consider.

Increasing numbers of students in America now qualify for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) through the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)-that’s an increase of about half a million students since 2007-08. During the 2018-19 school year, 7.1 million students, or about 14 percent of the entire public school population, received services through IDEA. And in some parts of the country, the percentage of special education students is much higher. simply can’t keep up with demand.

As of the 2020-21 school year, 45 states and Washington D.C. reported shortages of special education teachers, with most states reporting shortages in all or most all disability categories. Some states like Alabama and Rhode Island, are just dealing with a shortfall of qualified teachers in early childhood special education classrooms, while states like Washington and Oklahoma are experiencing shortages at all levels and in all exceptionalities. Department of Education’s searchable database of teacher shortage areas.

Special education teacher shortages affect virtually every state, with critical needs reported in 21 states and moderate shortages in most others.

Incentives and Benefits

While the lack of special education teachers is a serious and prevalent problem, for those looking to enter or advance in the field, it equates to exceptional professional opportunities and, in many cases, higher salaries, courtesy of federal, state, and local financial incentives designed to get them in the door and keep them there.

Special education teachers are bound to the same salary schedules as their colleagues in other subjects and specialty areas, largely due to guidelines set forth by state teacher unions. So, while special education shortages persist throughout the nation, school districts cannot deviate from the set salary schedules as a way to recruit new special education talent. Department are eligible to receive special benefits from the federal government.

For example, the TEACH (Teacher Education Assistants for College and Higher Education) Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 per year for students who agree to serve as a teacher in a high-need field that serves students from low-income families. Special education consistently manages to land toward the top of the list of high-need fields:

Special education
Bilingual education/English language acquisition
Foreign language
Mathematics
Reading specialist
Science

Through the Teacher Forgiveness Program, special education teachers recognized as highly qualified and teaching at either the elementary or secondary level can receive up to $17,500 in loan repayment for their Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans if they teach full-time for five consecutive school years in a low-income school or educational service agency.

Many state education agencies also offer statewide financial incentives. For example, the Minnesota Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment Program provides loan repayment assistance of up to $1,000 annually ($5,000 total) for special education teachers serving in districts located in defined teacher shortage areas.

At the local level, it’s common for school districts to offer specific financial incentives to attract teachers and encourage them to take jobs in teacher shortage areas. For example, the Austin Independent School District offers two financial incentives for special education teachers: (1) a $2,000/year special education stipend for special education classroom teachers and eligible support staff; and (2) a $1,500 bonus for newly hired special education classroom teachers.

Some districts are even testing bonus systems or loan forgiveness to bring in more special ed teachers.

Requirements for Special Education Teachers

Special education teachers in public schools are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree and a state-issued certification or license. All states require special education teachers in public schools to have at least a bachelor's degree. Some require teachers to earn a degree specifically in special education. In a program leading to a bachelor’s degree in special education, prospective teachers learn about the different types of disabilities and how to present information so that students will understand. Programs typically include a student-teaching program, in which prospective teachers work with a mentor and get experience instructing students in a classroom setting.

All states require teachers in public schools to be licensed in the specific grade level that they teach. A license frequently is referred to as a certification. All states offer an alternative route to certification or licensure for people who already have a bachelor’s degree. These alternative programs cover teaching methods and child development. Candidates are awarded full certification after they complete the program. Other alternative programs require prospective teachers to take classes in education before they can start to teach.

Qualities of Effective Special Education Teachers

The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties.

Communication skills. Special education teachers need to explain concepts in terms that students with learning disabilities can understand.
Critical-thinking skills.
Interpersonal skills. Special education teachers work regularly with a team of educators and the student’s parents to develop IEPs.
Patience.
Resourcefulness. Special education teachers must develop different ways to present information that meet their students’ needs.

Job Outlook

Special education teachers held about 559,500 jobs in 2024. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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