Salary AI Book a Demo

Early Childhood Special Educator Salary in the United States

How much does an Early Childhood Special Educator make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Early Childhood Special Educator in the United States is $54,460 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

However, an Early Childhood Special Educator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $67,653
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $46,485 to $61,366
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $39,224
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
Smart Recruiting
Recruit with AI
Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits
Paid Annually Paid Monthly Paid Semimonthly Paid Biweekly Paid Weekly Paid Hourly
View as table View as graph 25% $46,485 10% $39,224 90% $67,653 75% $61,366 $54,460 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Early Childhood Special Educator Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $61,366 $5,114 $1,180 $30
Average $54,460 $4,538 $1,047 $26
25th Percentile $46,485 $3,874 $894 $22
Check out Early Childhood Special Educator Job Openings in the United States
Physician Emergency Medicine Ohio Permanent Emergency Medicine Physician near Columbus Ohio Job

MD Staff, LLC - Columbus, OH

Physician Other Ohio Permanent Associate Medical Director

eviCore healthcare - Columbus, OH

Instacart

Instacart - Columbus, OH

Physician Psychiatry

Continuum Medical Staffing - Columbus, OH

Search More Early Childhood Special Educator Jobs in the United States
Choose Similar Job
Choose Category
Cost of Living
Average Salary for United States
See it in Action

Key Factors That Influence Early Childhood Special Educator Salaries

An Early Childhood Special 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Early Childhood Special Educator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Early Childhood Special 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): $51,259
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $51,871
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $54,460
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $56,491
  • Expert (over 8 years): $56,999
Levels Salary
Entry Level Early Childhood Special Educator$51,259
Intermediate Level Early Childhood Special Educator$51,871
Senior Level Early Childhood Special Educator$54,460
Specialist Level Early Childhood Special Educator$56,491
Expert Level Early Childhood Special Educator$56,999
$51,259 0 yr
$51,871 < 2 yrs
$54,460 2-4 yrs
$56,491 5-8 yrs
$56,999 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Early Childhood Special 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 Early Childhood Special Educators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $60,298.
  • California: $60,069.
  • Massachusetts: $59,269.

Top Paying Cities for Early Childhood Special Educators

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: $68,690
  • San Francisco: $67,938
  • Oakland: $66,506

What Skills Can Increase an Early Childhood Special 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 an Early Childhood Special 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
 $59,361
9%
Applied Behavior Analysis
 $57,183
5%
Goal Oriented
 $56,638
4%
Analysis
 $56,638
4%
Coaching
 $56,094
3%
Initiative
 $55,549
2%
Get Latest Data

Early Childhood Special Educator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Early Childhood Special 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, Early Childhood Special Educator positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Early Childhood Special Educator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an Early Childhood Special Educator

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$70,798$34.030%

How Education impacts an Early Childhood Special Educator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Early Childhood Special Educators enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Early Childhood Special Educator with a Bachelor's Degree is between $58,261 and $66,637).

Early Childhood Special Educator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Early Childhood Special Educator
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 2.3%
Associates 3.8%
Bachelors 28.2%
Masters 63.4%
Doctorate 1.1%
view as graph

Early Childhood Special Educator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Early Childhood Special 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
$46,485
Average $54,460/year
$61,366
$3,874
Average $4,538/month
$5,114
$894
Average $1,047/week
$1,180
$22
Average $26/hour
$30
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $61,366 $5,114 $1,180 $30
Average $54,460 $4,538 $1,047 $26
25th Percentile $46,485 $3,874 $894 $22

Salaries of jobs related to Early Childhood Special Educator

Salary Trends for Early Childhood Special Educator

Salaries for an Early Childhood Special Educator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $54,891 in 2023 to around $53,682 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Early Childhood Special Educator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Early Childhood Special Educator Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$54,891
2024
$54,118
2025
$53,682
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $54,891
2024 $54,118
2025 $53,682
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Early Childhood Special Educator

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Early Childhood Special Educator

Here are companies hiring for Early Childhood Special Educator and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Early Childhood Special Educator Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Early Childhood Special Educator job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States

  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    Physician Neurology Ohio Locum Tenens Locums Physician

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Neurologist Locum Tenens Opportunity Near Columbus, OH. We are excited to offer a rewarding locum tenens opportunity for a Board Certified or Board Eligibl... more

    6 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Associate Vice President Brand&External Communications

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Associate Vice President, Brand & External Communications. About the Company. National consulting & advisory services firm focused on the healthcare indust... more

    17 Days Ago

  • C.R. England

    Columbus, OH

    Local CDL

    C.R. England | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. C.R. England is Now Urgently Hiring Local Dedicated CDL-A Truck Drivers. \n. Dedicated Local Fleet - Home Daily - Competitive Pay* - Full ... more

    18 Days Ago

  • Confidential

    Columbus, OH

    Vice President Credit Risk Strategy&Data Science

    Confidential | Columbus, OH

    Vice President, Credit Risk Strategy & Data Science. About the Company. High-growth SMB lender building the next generation of credit decisioning. Industry... more

    18 Days Ago

  • KreilKamp Trucking

    Columbus, OH

    Regional Truck Driver Company

    KreilKamp Trucking | Columbus, OH

    Regional CDL A Drivers | NEW Grads Welcome | Earn $70,000+ Annually. We're proud to be a 4th generation family truck line, started in 1935, but even proude... more

    18 Days Ago

  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    RN Private Duty Nursing Opportunity

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    20 Days Ago

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

FAQ about Early Childhood Special Educator

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Early Childhood Special Educator?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Early Childhood Special 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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst