Special Needs Educator Salary in the United States
How much does a Special Needs Educator make in the United States?
As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Special Needs Educator in the United States is $53,690 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.
However, a Special Needs Educator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $66,490
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $45,490 to $60,390
Key Factors That Influence Special Needs Educator Salaries
A Special Needs Educator's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Special Needs Educator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Special Needs Educator's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $50,997
Early Career (1-2 years): $51,609
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $54,190
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $56,190
Expert (over 8 years): $56,690
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Special Needs Educator
$50,997
Intermediate Level Special Needs Educator
$51,609
Senior Level Special Needs Educator
$54,190
Specialist Level Special Needs Educator
$56,190
Expert Level Special Needs Educator
$56,690
$50,9970 yr
$51,609< 2 yrs
$54,1902-4 yrs
$56,1905-8 yrs
$56,690> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Special Needs Educator Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Special Needs Educators.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $67,690
San Francisco: $66,890
Oakland: $65,490
San Jose, CA$67,690
San Francisco, CA$66,890
Oakland, CA$65,490
New York, NY$61,790
Paramus, NJ$60,990
Queens Village, NY$60,990
Passaic, NJ$60,990
Bergenfield, NJ$60,990
Stamford, CT$60,890
Huntington, NY$60,790
Newark, NJ$60,390
Bridgeport, CT$60,290
Vallejo, CA$60,190
New Brunswick, NJ$60,190
Petaluma, CA$60,190
Middlesex, NJ$60,090
Somerset, NJ$59,990
Santa Cruz, CA$59,990
Boston, MA$59,590
Monterey, CA$59,390
Seattle, WA$59,290
Santa Rosa, CA$59,290
Los Angeles, CA$59,290
Juneau, AK$59,190
Washington, DC$59,090
Orange, CA$58,890
Santa Ana, CA$58,790
Anaheim, CA$58,690
Anchorage, AK$58,690
Long Beach, CA$58,690
Santa Maria, CA$58,490
Everett, WA$58,490
Danbury, CT$58,290
Bremerton, WA$58,190
Tacoma, WA$58,090
Santa Barbara, CA$57,990
New Suffolk, NY$57,990
Sacramento, CA$57,990
Brockton, MA$57,890
Trenton, NJ$57,890
San Diego, CA$57,890
Fairbanks, AK$57,690
Lompoc, CA$57,590
Lowell, MA$57,490
Ventura, CA$57,490
Nashua, NH$57,490
Stockton, CA$57,490
Modesto, CA$57,090
Poughkeepsie, NY$56,990
New Haven, CT$56,890
Olympia, WA$56,890
Kennewick, WA$56,890
Lawrence, MA$56,690
Hartford, CT$56,590
Riverside, CA$56,590
New Bedford, MA$56,590
Richland, WA$56,590
New London, CT$56,490
Atlantic City, NJ$56,490
New Britain, CT$56,490
San Bernardino, CA$56,490
Bakersfield, CA$56,490
Norwich, CT$56,390
Portsmouth, NH$56,390
Boulder, CO$56,290
Portland, OR$56,190
Worcester, MA$56,190
Minneapolis, MN$56,090
Philadelphia, PA$55,990
Vineland, NJ$55,790
Honolulu, HI$55,790
Saint Paul, MN$55,790
Providence, RI$55,590
Chicago, IL$55,490
Bellingham, WA$55,390
Springfield, MA$55,390
Baltimore, MD$55,290
Chico, CA$55,190
Pittsfield, MA$55,090
Manchester, NH$54,990
Spokane, WA$54,690
Denver, CO$54,690
Albany, NY$54,490
Troy, NY$54,390
Nassau, NY$54,390
Schenectady, NY$54,290
Wilmington, DE$54,290
Burlington, VT$54,190
Salem, OR$54,190
Yakima, WA$53,990
Portland, ME$53,990
Rochester, MN$53,790
Reno, NV$53,790
Fresno, CA$53,790
Milwaukee, WI$53,690
Detroit, MI$53,690
Ann Arbor, MI$53,690
Allentown, PA$53,690
Colorado Springs, CO$53,590
Houston, TX$53,490
Syracuse, NY$53,490
Carson City, NV$53,490
Eugene, OR$53,390
Gary, IN$53,390
Springfield, OR$53,290
Bismarck, ND$53,290
Galveston, TX$53,290
Medford, OR$53,190
Fort Collins, CO$53,190
Concord, NH$53,190
Austin, TX$53,090
Mesa, AZ$52,990
Reading, PA$52,990
Phoenix, AZ$52,990
Dallas, TX$52,990
Saint Cloud, MN$52,990
Madison, WI$52,890
Rochester, NY$52,690
Utica, NY$52,690
Atlanta, GA$52,590
Des Moines, IA$52,590
Raleigh, NC$52,590
Battle Creek, MI$52,490
Salt Lake City, UT$52,490
Lancaster, PA$52,390
Harrisburg, PA$52,390
Pittsburgh, PA$52,290
Boca Raton, FL$52,290
Fort Worth, TX$52,290
Columbus, OH$52,290
Kansas City, KS$52,290
Kansas City, MO$52,290
Champaign, IL$52,290
Richmond, VA$52,190
Indianapolis, IN$52,190
Cleveland, OH$52,190
Las Vegas, NV$52,190
Cincinnati, OH$52,190
Petersburg, VA$52,090
Lebanon, PA$51,990
Lansing, MI$51,990
Huntsville, AL$51,990
Pueblo, CO$51,890
Appleton, WI$51,890
Buffalo, NY$51,890
Dayton, OH$51,890
Racine, WI$51,890
Charlotte, NC$51,890
Saint Louis, MO$51,890
Benton Harbor, MI$51,790
York, PA$51,790
Elkhart, IN$51,790
Gastonia, NC$51,790
Billings, MT$51,790
Beaumont, TX$51,790
Lorain, OH$51,790
Toledo, OH$51,790
Elyria, OH$51,690
Fargo, ND$51,690
Springfield, IL$51,690
Rock Hill, SC$51,690
Rockford, IL$51,690
Binghamton, NY$51,690
Flagstaff, AZ$51,590
Fort Lauderdale, FL$51,590
Duluth, MN$51,590
Miami, FL$51,590
Grand Forks, ND$51,490
Cheyenne, WY$51,490
Cedar Rapids, IA$51,390
Bangor, ME$51,390
Durham, NC$51,290
Louisville, KY$51,290
Grand Rapids, MI$51,290
Hialeah, FL$51,290
Casper, WY$51,190
Scranton, PA$51,190
New Orleans, LA$51,190
Virginia Beach, VA$51,190
Peoria, IL$51,090
Akron, OH$51,090
Sarasota, FL$50,990
Nashville, TN$50,990
Omaha, NE$50,990
Green Bay, WI$50,990
Baton Rouge, LA$50,990
Charleston, SC$50,990
Tucson, AZ$50,890
Tampa, FL$50,890
Saint Petersburg, FL$50,890
Jamestown, NY$50,890
Davenport, IA$50,890
Evansville, IN$50,790
Port Arthur, TX$50,790
Bradenton, FL$50,790
Santa Fe, NM$50,690
Orlando, FL$50,590
Clearwater, FL$50,590
Newport News, VA$50,490
Albuquerque, NM$50,490
Canton, OH$50,490
La Crosse, WI$50,490
High Point, NC$50,390
Ogden, UT$50,390
Corpus Christi, TX$50,390
Norfolk, VA$50,390
Laramie, WY$50,390
Moline, IL$50,290
Boise, ID$50,290
Salisbury, NC$50,290
Jacksonville, FL$50,290
Saginaw, MI$50,290
Rock Island, IL$50,290
Fort Myers, FL$50,190
Memphis, TN$50,190
Tulsa, OK$50,190
Waterloo, IA$50,190
Provo, UT$50,090
Fort Wayne, IN$50,090
Spartanburg, SC$50,090
Lincoln, NE$50,090
Cedar Falls, IA$49,990
San Antonio, TX$49,990
Greensboro, NC$49,990
South Bend, IN$49,990
Savannah, GA$49,890
Muskegon, MI$49,890
Birmingham, AL$49,890
Winston Salem, NC$49,790
Lake Charles, LA$49,690
Anderson, IN$49,690
Lexington, KY$49,690
Augusta, GA$49,690
Greenville, SC$49,690
Tuscaloosa, AL$49,590
Columbia, SC$49,590
Lima, OH$49,590
Wichita, KS$49,590
Springfield, OH$49,590
Asheville, NC$49,490
Bloomington, IN$49,390
Knoxville, TN$49,290
Shreveport, LA$49,190
Wilmington, NC$49,190
Roanoke, VA$49,190
Topeka, KS$49,090
Frankfort, KY$49,090
Melbourne, FL$48,990
Longview, TX$48,990
Oklahoma City, OK$48,990
Chillicothe, OH$48,990
Sioux Falls, SD$48,890
Mobile, AL$48,890
Terre Haute, IN$48,890
Altoona, PA$48,890
Fayetteville, AR$48,790
Amarillo, TX$48,790
Killeen, TX$48,790
Idaho Falls, ID$48,690
Chattanooga, TN$48,690
Sioux City, IA$48,690
Lynchburg, VA$48,590
Gainesville, FL$48,590
Clarksville, TN$48,490
Portsmouth, OH$48,490
Little Rock, AR$48,490
Lafayette, LA$48,490
Youngstown, OH$48,490
Daytona Beach, FL$48,490
Pensacola, FL$48,490
Temple, TX$48,490
Hopkinsville, KY$48,290
Erie, PA$48,290
Florence, SC$48,290
Charleston, WV$48,190
Great Falls, MT$48,190
Waco, TX$48,090
Fayetteville, NC$48,090
Tallahassee, FL$48,090
Macon, GA$48,090
Helena, MT$47,990
Pine Bluff, AR$47,990
Vincennes, IN$47,890
Lubbock, TX$47,890
Alamogordo, NM$47,890
Twin Falls, ID$47,790
Rapid City, SD$47,790
Montgomery, AL$47,690
Parkersburg, WV$47,690
Jackson, MS$47,690
Huntington, WV$47,690
Greenville, MS$47,690
Biloxi, MS$47,590
Wichita Falls, TX$47,590
Springfield, MO$47,590
Columbus, GA$47,490
Sumter, SC$47,490
Monroe, LA$47,490
Johnstown, PA$47,490
Pascagoula, MS$47,390
Abilene, TX$47,390
Kingsport, TN$47,190
Albany, GA$47,190
Gulfport, MS$47,190
Alexandria, LA$46,990
Fort Smith, AR$46,890
El Paso, TX$46,690
Las Cruces, NM$46,490
Harlingen, TX$46,390
Pocatello, ID$46,390
Florence, AL$46,290
Brownsville, TX$46,290
Mcallen, TX$46,190
Dothan, AL$46,090
Columbus, MS$45,790
Altus, OK$45,490
Lawton, OK$45,390
Pierre, SD$45,190
What Skills Can Increase a Special Needs Educator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 8.08% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Child Development (Mentioned in 1.83% Job Postings): Child development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood.
Early Childhood Education (Mentioned in 1.59% Job Postings): Early childhood education, also known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Analysis
8.08%
Child Development
1.83%
Early Childhood Education
1.59%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Special Needs Educator's salary.
LMS: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Applied Behavior Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Goal Oriented: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
LMS
$58,522
9%
Applied Behavior Analysis
$56,375
5%
Goal Oriented
$55,838
4%
Analysis
$55,838
4%
Coaching
$55,301
3%
Initiative
$54,764
2%
Get Latest Data
Special Needs Educator Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Special Needs Educator salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $57,247.
While startup companies pay approximate $48,702.
Special Needs Educator Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$48,702
Growth Stage
51~500
$51,437
Established
501~5000
$55,353
Enterprise
5000+
$57,247
Special Needs Educator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Special Needs Educator roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare,
offers compensation 30% above the average. Conversely,
Special Needs Educator positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Special Needs Educator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Special Needs Educator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$69,797
$34.0
30%
Special Needs Educator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Special Needs Educator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$45,490
Average$53,690/year
$60,390
$3,791
Average$4,474/month
$5,033
$875
Average$1,033/week
$1,161
$22
Average$26/hour
$29
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$60,390
$5,033
$1,161
$29
Average
$53,690
$4,474
$1,033
$26
25th Percentile
$45,490
$3,791
$875
$22
Salaries of jobs related to Special Needs Educator
Salaries for a Special Needs Educator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,558 in 2023
to around $53,357 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Special Needs Educator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Special Needs Educator Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$54,558
2024
$53,790
2025
$53,357
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,558
2024
$53,790
2025
$53,357
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Special Needs Educator
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Common company salaries for Special Needs Educator
Here are companies hiring for Special Needs Educator and their salaries, click below for more details.
K
$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLP
Business Services
the United States
W
$114,096/per year
Warner Bros Discovery
Business Services
the United States
D
$111,927/per year
Dentsu International Ltd
Business Services
the United States
G
$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide Inc
Business Services
the United States
C
$111,651/per year
CoWorx Staffing
Business Services
the United States
C
$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services Corp
Business Services
the United States
S
$107,128/per year
Showcase Cinemas
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,429/per year
Amentum Services Inc
Business Services
the United States
A
$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
S
$106,104/per year
Sodexo USA
Business Services
the United States
J
$105,192/per year
JLL Technologies
Business Services
the United States
I
$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLC
Business Services
the United States
N
$101,619/per year
NielsenIQ
Business Services
the United States
T
$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge Alliance
Business Services
the United States
H
$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOP
Business Services
the United States
R
$97,720/per year
Reeve & Associates
Business Services
the United States
M
$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global Inc
Business Services
the United States
F
$95,980/per year
Financial Sys Nco
Business Services
the United States
A
$95,314/per year
Arrow Global Ltd
Business Services
the United States
C
$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLC
Business Services
the United States
D
$94,479/per year
DZConneX
Business Services
the United States
A
$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USA
Business Services
the United States
R
$92,937/per year
Resource MFG
Business Services
the United States
Z
$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands Inc
Business Services
the United States
G
$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLC
Business Services
the United States
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FAQ about Special Needs Educator
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Special Needs Educator?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Special Needs Educator roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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