Average Salary for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
SOC 25-2052 · Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the United States is $63,000, based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $47,590 at the 10th percentile to $100,620 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 231,570 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 15.4% since 2014.
Median Annual
$63,000
Mean Annual
$70,150
10th Pct
$47,590
75th Pct
$79,320
Employment
231,570
Salary Distribution
$48k
10th
$57k
25th
$63k
Median
$79k
75th
$101k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $112,850 |
| Visalia, CA | $102,630 |
| El Centro, CA | $100,980 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $99,170 |
| Fresno, CA | $98,550 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98,050 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $97,970 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $97,300 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $96,940 |
| Vallejo, CA | $96,190 |
| Merced, CA | $95,060 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $93,800 |
| Yuba City, CA | $92,620 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $92,450 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $92,070 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| California | $90,530 |
| Washington | $85,340 |
| District of Columbia | $82,400 |
| Connecticut | $81,220 |
| New York | $80,750 |
| Massachusetts | $78,820 |
| Oregon | $78,320 |
| Rhode Island | $77,930 |
| Alaska | $77,220 |
| Illinois | $76,170 |
| New Jersey | $75,660 |
| Maryland | $75,550 |
| Michigan | $75,520 |
| Georgia | $67,710 |
| New Mexico | $66,490 |
| Virginia | $65,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,520 |
| Ohio | $64,060 |
| Wyoming | $63,520 |
| Colorado | $63,500 |
| Nevada | $63,340 |
| Minnesota | $63,320 |
| Vermont | $63,220 |
| New Hampshire | $62,420 |
| Idaho | $62,210 |
| Nebraska | $61,140 |
| Alabama | $61,100 |
| Tennessee | $61,080 |
| South Carolina | $60,530 |
| Texas | $60,270 |
| Montana | $60,200 |
| Wisconsin | $59,860 |
| Maine | $59,860 |
| Kansas | $59,060 |
| Delaware | $58,990 |
| Utah | $58,920 |
| Indiana | $57,910 |
| North Dakota | $57,820 |
| Kentucky | $57,090 |
| North Carolina | $56,330 |
| Puerto Rico | $56,040 |
| Hawaii | $55,760 |
| Iowa | $55,350 |
| Louisiana | $54,410 |
| Florida | $52,700 |
| Missouri | $52,140 |
| Arkansas | $51,590 |
| South Dakota | $50,380 |
| West Virginia | $49,760 |
| Arizona | $49,760 |
| Oklahoma | $49,030 |
| Mississippi | $48,860 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities | $84,010 |
| Temporary Help Services | $80,480 |
| Educational Support Services | $78,590 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $78,420 |
| Employment Services | $74,320 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $74,320 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $74,320 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $73,880 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $73,880 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $73,780 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $70,650 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $70,190 |
| Individual and Family Services | $67,510 |
| Social Assistance | $66,940 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $66,440 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $64,530 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $64,530 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $63,290 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $63,290 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $63,220 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $63,210 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities | $63,180 |
| Hospitals | $63,080 |
| Educational Services | $62,990 |
| Other Schools and Instruction | $62,610 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $62,020 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $61,650 |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $61,060 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $60,280 |
| Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $60,120 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $59,680 |
| Educational Services | $59,110 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $58,980 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $47,720 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $63,000 |
| 2023 | $64,910 |
| 2022 | $62,390 |
| 2021 | $61,640 |
| 2020 | $60,620 |
| 2019 | $60,460 |
| 2018 | $59,390 |
| 2017 | $58,600 |
| 2016 | $57,040 |
| 2015 | $55,810 |
| 2014 | $54,570 |