The average salary for a special education teacher in the United States is around $54,000 per year.
Avg Salary
Special education teachers earn an average yearly salary of $54,000.
Wages typically start from $24,000 and go up to $85,000.
18% below national average Updated in 2023
Special education teacher earnings by seniority
Top-level special education teacher earnings begin at:
$40.87 per hour
$85,000 per year
Senior-level special education teacher earnings begin at:
$33.17 per hour
$69,000 per year
Mid-level special education teacher earnings begin at:
$25.96 per hour
$54,000 per year
Junior-level special education teacher earnings begin at:
$19.23 per hour
$40,000 per year
Starting level special education teacher earnings begin at:
$11.54 per hour
$24,000 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Special education teacher salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $83,650 |
| Oregon | $79,600 |
| New York | $77,400 |
| Connecticut | $77,350 |
| Alaska | $76,220 |
| Rhode Island | $75,350 |
| Massachusetts | $74,110 |
| New Jersey | $73,820 |
| District of Columbia | $71,550 |
| Maryland | $69,510 |
| Washington | $66,440 |
| Michigan | $63,700 |
| Delaware | $63,360 |
| New Hampshire | $62,110 |
| Minnesota | $61,920 |
| Vermont | $61,780 |
| Wyoming | $59,790 |
| Nevada | $59,050 |
| Ohio | $58,990 |
| Nebraska | $58,820 |
| Texas | $57,960 |
| Virginia | $57,770 |
| Iowa | $57,730 |
| Georgia | $57,670 |
| North Dakota | $56,720 |
| Florida | $55,080 |
| South Carolina | $54,610 |
| Kansas | $54,050 |
| New Mexico | $53,670 |
| Illinois | $53,640 |
| Tennessee | $52,780 |
| Colorado | $52,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,515 |
| Wisconsin | $52,440 |
| Louisiana | $51,750 |
| Maine | $51,480 |
| Idaho | $51,180 |
| Arkansas | $50,880 |
| Hawaii | $50,400 |
| Montana | $49,550 |
| Alabama | $48,970 |
| North Carolina | $48,070 |
| Mississippi | $47,670 |
| Indiana | $46,043 |
| Missouri | $45,420 |
| Kentucky | $45,016 |
| West Virginia | $44,500 |
| Oklahoma | $43,560 |
| South Dakota | $42,410 |
| Arizona | $41,954 |
| Utah | $41,080 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,350 |
How do special education teacher salaries compare to similar careers?
Special education teachers earn 6% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than distance learning coordinators but more than elementary school teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Distance learning coordinator salary | $79K |
| Educational administrator salary | $65K |
| Professor salary | $52K |
| Special education teacher salary | $54K |
| Librarian salary | $55K |
| Career counselor salary | $48K |
| High school teacher salary | $47K |
| Elementary school teacher salary | $40K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)