Special Education Teachers, Secondary School Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for special education teachers, secondary schools across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $77,260 ≈ $37/hr
National median salary $74,260
Total employment 163,930 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -1.6%
Decline
Annual openings 11,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 164,200 → 161,500 (-2,600)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$102,780
- District of Columbia$101,340
- Washington$97,960
- New York$95,910
- Maryland$89,120
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$54,230
- South Dakota$54,290
- North Carolina$55,540
- West Virginia$56,350
- Missouri$56,900
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $102,780 | $101,060 | $49 | +33% | 12,100 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $101,340 | $99,670 | $49 | +31.2% | 440 |
| 3 | Washington | $97,960 | $101,120 | $47 | +26.8% | 2,510 |
| 4 | New York | $95,910 | $89,310 | $46 | +24.1% | 15,250 |
| 5 | Maryland | $89,120 | $93,530 | $43 | +15.4% | 1,560 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $88,760 | $83,770 | $43 | +14.9% | 7,520 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $88,250 | $83,890 | $42 | +14.2% | 5,470 |
| 8 | Illinois | $86,150 | $79,890 | $41 | +11.5% | 9,490 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $85,660 | $81,710 | $41 | +10.9% | 1,920 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $83,100 | $92,990 | $40 | +7.6% | 830 |
| 11 | Alaska | $81,150 | $80,580 | $39 | +5% | 590 |
| 12 | Michigan | $77,810 | $78,050 | $37 | +0.7% | 2,570 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $76,720 | $76,600 | $37 | -0.7% | 4,130 |
| 14 | Oregon | $76,330 | $77,400 | $37 | -1.2% | 1,240 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $76,080 | $77,000 | $37 | -1.5% | 11,040 |
| 16 | Vermont | $75,820 | $79,360 | $36 | -1.9% | 660 |
| 17 | Virginia | $75,200 | $68,400 | $36 | -2.7% | 6,380 |
| 18 | Delaware | $74,760 | $78,490 | $36 | -3.2% | 1,160 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $74,670 | $76,940 | $36 | -3.4% | 2,150 |
| 20 | Colorado | $74,310 | $67,240 | $36 | -3.8% | 2,970 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $74,140 | $69,560 | $36 | -4% | 910 |
| 22 | Georgia | $73,780 | $74,150 | $35 | -4.5% | 4,090 |
| 23 | Ohio | $73,730 | $76,180 | $35 | -4.6% | 10,580 |
| 24 | Arizona | $71,690 | $64,300 | $34 | -7.2% | 1,960 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $69,780 | $65,980 | $34 | -9.7% | 800 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $66,510 | $62,150 | $32 | -13.9% | 1,780 |
| 27 | Texas | $66,450 | $64,830 | $32 | -14% | 10,200 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $66,440 | $63,520 | $32 | -14% | 3,350 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $66,090 | $63,460 | $32 | -14.5% | 1,240 |
| 30 | Utah | $65,640 | $64,210 | $32 | -15% | 1,220 |
| 31 | Indiana | $65,450 | $61,130 | $31 | -15.3% | 2,580 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $65,400 | $62,750 | $31 | -15.4% | 350 |
| 33 | Florida | $65,290 | $61,510 | $31 | -15.5% | 7,940 |
| 34 | Maine | $64,590 | $61,710 | $31 | -16.4% | 860 |
| 35 | Nevada | $63,920 | $60,810 | $31 | -17.3% | 350 |
| 36 | Montana | $63,830 | $62,310 | $31 | -17.4% | 480 |
| 37 | Iowa | $63,800 | $60,780 | $31 | -17.4% | 1,570 |
| 38 | Alabama | $63,200 | $62,210 | $30 | -18.2% | 740 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $62,880 | $61,210 | $30 | -18.6% | 520 |
| 40 | Idaho | $62,100 | $60,700 | $30 | -19.6% | 470 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $61,990 | $61,360 | $30 | -19.8% | 2,010 |
| 42 | Kansas | $61,370 | $60,700 | $30 | -20.6% | 1,650 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $60,910 | $60,730 | $29 | -21.2% | 2,680 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $60,070 | $59,660 | $29 | -22.2% | 2,020 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $57,720 | $59,100 | $28 | -25.3% | 3,160 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $57,110 | $57,000 | $27 | -26.1% | 1,280 |
| 47 | Missouri | $56,900 | $55,920 | $27 | -26.4% | 2,760 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $56,350 | $55,390 | $27 | -27.1% | 840 |
| 49 | North Carolina | $55,540 | $56,770 | $27 | -28.1% | 3,400 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $54,290 | $54,810 | $26 | -29.7% | 500 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $54,230 | $51,970 | $26 | -29.8% | 1,670 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 440 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $117,640 | $110,740 | 400 |
| 2 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $115,160 | $121,230 | 1,220 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $105,160 | $106,980 | 1,260 |
| 4 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $104,090 | $104,450 | 290 |
| 5 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $103,730 | $105,440 | 1,630 |
| 6 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $103,420 | $105,910 | 60 |
| 7 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $102,890 | $102,410 | 80 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,290 | $101,860 | 1,270 |
| 9 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $101,700 | $92,190 | 760 |
| 10 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $101,060 | $93,930 | 90 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing special education teachers, secondary schools (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ambulatory Health Care Services | $108,650 | $94,100 | 30 |
| 2 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $77,670 | $78,420 | 990 |
| 3 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, Privately Owned | $77,530 | $70,500 | 50 |
| 4 | Temporary Help Services | $77,200 | $76,380 | 250 |
| 5 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $76,450 | $77,600 | 1,380 |
| 6 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $76,450 | $75,570 | 390 |
| 7 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $76,450 | $77,600 | 1,380 |
| 8 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, Local Government Owned | $75,550 | $78,500 | 142,760 |
| 9 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $75,500 | $78,380 | 144,200 |
| 10 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $75,500 | $78,370 | 144,600 |
| 11 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $75,490 | $78,420 | 147,720 |
| 12 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $75,180 | $80,440 | 3,120 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do special education teachers, secondary school make in the U.S.?
The median special education teachers, secondary school salary in the United States is $74,260 per year (mean $77,260), and about 80% earn between $49,800 and $109,100.
How much do special education teachers, secondary school make per hour?
Roughly $37 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $77,260 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays special education teachers, secondary school the most?
California has the highest average pay for special education teachers, secondary school at $102,780 per year (median $101,060).
What is the job outlook for special education teachers, secondary school?
Employment is projected to change -1.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 11,100 openings per year.
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