How much does a Special Ed Teacher make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Special Ed Teacher in the United States is $53,764 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.
However, a Special Ed Teacher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $66,770
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $45,884 to $60,572
Key Factors That Influence Special Ed Teacher Salaries
A Special Ed Teacher'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 Special Ed Teacher Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Special Ed Teacher'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:
How Do Special Ed Teacher 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 Ed Teachers. 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: $67,813
San Francisco: $67,070
Oakland: $65,657
San Jose, CA$67,813
San Francisco, CA$67,070
Oakland, CA$65,657
New York, NY$61,904
Paramus, NJ$61,151
Queens Village, NY$61,148
Passaic, NJ$61,097
Bergenfield, NJ$61,092
Stamford, CT$60,974
Huntington, NY$60,952
Newark, NJ$60,555
Bridgeport, CT$60,441
Vallejo, CA$60,334
New Brunswick, NJ$60,313
Petaluma, CA$60,281
Middlesex, NJ$60,178
Somerset, NJ$60,141
Santa Cruz, CA$60,071
Boston, MA$59,743
Monterey, CA$59,554
Seattle, WA$59,431
Santa Rosa, CA$59,420
Los Angeles, CA$59,404
Juneau, AK$59,264
Washington, DC$59,205
Orange, CA$59,014
Santa Ana, CA$58,872
Long Beach, CA$58,818
Anaheim, CA$58,807
Anchorage, AK$58,781
Santa Maria, CA$58,619
Everett, WA$58,608
Danbury, CT$58,419
Bremerton, WA$58,345
Tacoma, WA$58,151
New Suffolk, NY$58,150
Sacramento, CA$58,135
Santa Barbara, CA$58,076
Trenton, NJ$58,017
San Diego, CA$58,017
Brockton, MA$57,958
Fairbanks, AK$57,826
Lompoc, CA$57,689
Lowell, MA$57,646
Ventura, CA$57,635
Nashua, NH$57,625
Stockton, CA$57,619
Modesto, CA$57,227
Poughkeepsie, NY$57,108
Olympia, WA$57,006
Kennewick, WA$57,006
New Haven, CT$56,985
Lawrence, MA$56,791
Hartford, CT$56,737
Riverside, CA$56,727
New Bedford, MA$56,673
Richland, WA$56,673
Bakersfield, CA$56,598
San Bernardino, CA$56,576
New Britain, CT$56,571
Atlantic City, NJ$56,571
New London, CT$56,549
Norwich, CT$56,533
Portsmouth, NH$56,522
Boulder, CO$56,408
Portland, OR$56,334
Worcester, MA$56,329
Minneapolis, MN$56,162
Philadelphia, PA$56,087
Honolulu, HI$55,909
Saint Paul, MN$55,884
Vineland, NJ$55,872
Providence, RI$55,716
Chicago, IL$55,560
Bellingham, WA$55,496
Springfield, MA$55,452
Baltimore, MD$55,436
Chico, CA$55,302
Pittsfield, MA$55,157
Manchester, NH$55,055
Spokane, WA$54,818
Denver, CO$54,813
Albany, NY$54,560
Troy, NY$54,539
Nassau, NY$54,481
Schenectady, NY$54,426
Wilmington, DE$54,383
Burlington, VT$54,307
Salem, OR$54,286
Portland, ME$54,119
Yakima, WA$54,065
Rochester, MN$53,899
Reno, NV$53,872
Fresno, CA$53,872
Milwaukee, WI$53,823
Detroit, MI$53,770
Ann Arbor, MI$53,761
Allentown, PA$53,754
Colorado Springs, CO$53,662
Syracuse, NY$53,635
Carson City, NV$53,635
Houston, TX$53,560
Eugene, OR$53,533
Gary, IN$53,469
Springfield, OR$53,426
Bismarck, ND$53,415
Galveston, TX$53,377
Medford, OR$53,297
Fort Collins, CO$53,275
Concord, NH$53,248
Austin, TX$53,232
Mesa, AZ$53,119
Reading, PA$53,114
Phoenix, AZ$53,108
Dallas, TX$53,092
Saint Cloud, MN$53,041
Madison, WI$52,969
Utica, NY$52,823
Rochester, NY$52,737
Des Moines, IA$52,732
Raleigh, NC$52,727
Atlanta, GA$52,646
Battle Creek, MI$52,630
Salt Lake City, UT$52,614
Lancaster, PA$52,533
Harrisburg, PA$52,458
Kansas City, MO$52,404
Champaign, IL$52,393
Kansas City, KS$52,393
Fort Worth, TX$52,388
Columbus, OH$52,379
Boca Raton, FL$52,366
Pittsburgh, PA$52,345
Richmond, VA$52,323
Indianapolis, IN$52,313
Cleveland, OH$52,307
Las Vegas, NV$52,243
Cincinnati, OH$52,243
Petersburg, VA$52,162
Huntsville, AL$52,081
Lansing, MI$52,045
Lebanon, PA$52,038
Pueblo, CO$52,033
Appleton, WI$52,017
Buffalo, NY$51,995
Dayton, OH$51,979
Racine, WI$51,969
Charlotte, NC$51,963
Saint Louis, MO$51,947
York, PA$51,915
Elkhart, IN$51,915
Gastonia, NC$51,905
Billings, MT$51,892
Beaumont, TX$51,877
Lorain, OH$51,866
Benton Harbor, MI$51,856
Toledo, OH$51,845
Binghamton, NY$51,818
Rock Hill, SC$51,813
Rockford, IL$51,786
Springfield, IL$51,764
Elyria, OH$51,759
Fargo, ND$51,759
Flagstaff, AZ$51,721
Fort Lauderdale, FL$51,689
Duluth, MN$51,657
Miami, FL$51,657
Cheyenne, WY$51,619
Grand Forks, ND$51,619
Bangor, ME$51,501
Cedar Rapids, IA$51,442
Durham, NC$51,419
Louisville, KY$51,415
Grand Rapids, MI$51,404
Hialeah, FL$51,399
Casper, WY$51,323
Scranton, PA$51,259
New Orleans, LA$51,243
Virginia Beach, VA$51,237
Akron, OH$51,210
Peoria, IL$51,141
Sarasota, FL$51,130
Nashville, TN$51,092
Omaha, NE$51,092
Green Bay, WI$51,092
Baton Rouge, LA$51,065
Charleston, SC$51,055
Jamestown, NY$51,028
Davenport, IA$51,028
Tucson, AZ$51,001
Saint Petersburg, FL$50,969
Tampa, FL$50,958
Evansville, IN$50,926
Port Arthur, TX$50,926
Bradenton, FL$50,904
Santa Fe, NM$50,807
Orlando, FL$50,710
Clearwater, FL$50,694
Canton, OH$50,581
La Crosse, WI$50,581
Albuquerque, NM$50,549
Newport News, VA$50,544
High Point, NC$50,528
Ogden, UT$50,506
Corpus Christi, TX$50,463
Norfolk, VA$50,431
Laramie, WY$50,431
Rock Island, IL$50,399
Saginaw, MI$50,388
Jacksonville, FL$50,383
Salisbury, NC$50,372
Boise, ID$50,361
Moline, IL$50,334
Fort Myers, FL$50,318
Memphis, TN$50,307
Tulsa, OK$50,280
Waterloo, IA$50,248
Spartanburg, SC$50,194
Lincoln, NE$50,167
Fort Wayne, IN$50,157
Provo, UT$50,151
Cedar Falls, IA$50,087
San Antonio, TX$50,065
Greensboro, NC$50,044
South Bend, IN$50,038
Savannah, GA$49,979
Muskegon, MI$49,958
Birmingham, AL$49,952
Winston Salem, NC$49,926
Lake Charles, LA$49,796
Anderson, IN$49,786
Lexington, KY$49,770
Augusta, GA$49,753
Greenville, SC$49,753
Lima, OH$49,710
Wichita, KS$49,705
Tuscaloosa, AL$49,705
Columbia, SC$49,657
Springfield, OH$49,646
Asheville, NC$49,560
Bloomington, IN$49,522
Knoxville, TN$49,329
Shreveport, LA$49,323
Wilmington, NC$49,253
Roanoke, VA$49,253
Topeka, KS$49,157
Frankfort, KY$49,151
Oklahoma City, OK$49,114
Chillicothe, OH$49,092
Longview, TX$49,087
Melbourne, FL$49,081
Sioux Falls, SD$48,995
Mobile, AL$48,990
Terre Haute, IN$48,969
Altoona, PA$48,936
Amarillo, TX$48,899
Killeen, TX$48,883
Fayetteville, AR$48,839
Chattanooga, TN$48,823
Sioux City, IA$48,775
Idaho Falls, ID$48,764
Lynchburg, VA$48,721
Gainesville, FL$48,651
Portsmouth, OH$48,624
Little Rock, AR$48,614
Lafayette, LA$48,592
Youngstown, OH$48,592
Daytona Beach, FL$48,560
Clarksville, TN$48,555
Pensacola, FL$48,549
Temple, TX$48,545
Hopkinsville, KY$48,388
Erie, PA$48,377
Florence, SC$48,356
Charleston, WV$48,270
Great Falls, MT$48,243
Macon, GA$48,167
Tallahassee, FL$48,162
Fayetteville, NC$48,151
Waco, TX$48,141
Helena, MT$48,103
Pine Bluff, AR$48,082
Vincennes, IN$48,017
Lubbock, TX$47,995
Alamogordo, NM$47,963
Twin Falls, ID$47,915
Rapid City, SD$47,899
Jackson, MS$47,802
Huntington, WV$47,798
Greenville, MS$47,796
Parkersburg, WV$47,742
Montgomery, AL$47,732
Wichita Falls, TX$47,678
Springfield, MO$47,678
Biloxi, MS$47,651
Monroe, LA$47,598
Johnstown, PA$47,560
Sumter, SC$47,538
Columbus, GA$47,533
Pascagoula, MS$47,431
Abilene, TX$47,431
Kingsport, TN$47,291
Albany, GA$47,291
Gulfport, MS$47,275
Alexandria, LA$47,098
Fort Smith, AR$46,963
El Paso, TX$46,818
Las Cruces, NM$46,576
Harlingen, TX$46,439
Pocatello, ID$46,431
Florence, AL$46,361
Brownsville, TX$46,350
Mcallen, TX$46,237
Dothan, AL$46,162
Columbus, MS$45,843
Altus, OK$45,592
Lawton, OK$45,490
Pierre, SD$45,296
What Skills Can Increase a Special Ed Teacher'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.
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 Ed Teacher'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%.
Special Ed Teacher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Special Ed Teacher 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 Ed Teacher positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Special Ed Teacher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Special Ed Teacher
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$69,894
$34.0
30%
How Education impacts a Special Ed Teacher's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Special Ed Teachers 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 a Special Ed Teacher with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$58,261
and $66,637).
Special Ed Teacher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Special Ed Teacher'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.
Salaries for a Special Ed Teacher can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,193 in 2023
to around $52,999 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Special Ed Teacher salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Special Ed Teacher Over Time
$???
$54,193
$53,429
$52,999
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,193
2024
$53,429
2025
$52,999
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Special Ed Teacher
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Special Ed Teacher
Here are companies hiring for Special Ed Teacher and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
Find Your Next Special Ed Teacher Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Special Ed Teacher job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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FAQ about Special Ed Teacher
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Special Ed Teacher?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Special Ed Teacher 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.
