The average salary for a special education teacher in the United States is around $53,317 per year.
Avg Salary
Special education teachers earn an average yearly salary of $53,317.
Wages typically start from $35,686 and go up to $79,661.
17% below national average Updated in 2018
Special education teacher earnings by seniority
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Special education teacher salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $83,650 |
| Oregon | $79,600 |
| New York | $77,400 |
| Connecticut | $77,350 |
| Alaska | $76,220 |
| Rhode Island | $75,350 |
| Massachusetts | $74,110 |
| New Jersey | $73,820 |
| District of Columbia | $71,550 |
| Maryland | $69,510 |
| Washington | $66,440 |
| Michigan | $63,700 |
| Delaware | $63,360 |
| New Hampshire | $62,110 |
| Minnesota | $61,920 |
| Vermont | $61,780 |
| Wyoming | $59,790 |
| Nevada | $59,050 |
| Ohio | $58,990 |
| Nebraska | $58,820 |
| Texas | $57,960 |
| Virginia | $57,770 |
| Iowa | $57,730 |
| Georgia | $57,670 |
| North Dakota | $56,720 |
| Florida | $55,080 |
| South Carolina | $54,610 |
| Kansas | $54,050 |
| New Mexico | $53,670 |
| Illinois | $53,640 |
| Tennessee | $52,780 |
| Colorado | $52,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,515 |
| Wisconsin | $52,440 |
| Louisiana | $51,750 |
| Maine | $51,480 |
| Idaho | $51,180 |
| Arkansas | $50,880 |
| Hawaii | $50,400 |
| Montana | $49,550 |
| Alabama | $48,970 |
| North Carolina | $48,070 |
| Mississippi | $47,670 |
| Indiana | $46,043 |
| Missouri | $45,420 |
| Kentucky | $45,016 |
| West Virginia | $44,500 |
| Oklahoma | $43,560 |
| South Dakota | $42,410 |
| Arizona | $41,954 |
| Utah | $41,080 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,350 |
How do special education teacher salaries compare to similar careers?
Special education teachers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than elementary school teachers but more than teachers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Elementary school teacher salary | $58K |
| Librarian salary | $59K |
| School counselor salary | $56K |
| Kindergarten teacher salary | $55K |
| Education administrator salary | $48K |
| Special education teacher salary | $53K |
| Childcare program administrator salary | $48K |
| Career counselor salary | $42K |
| Art teacher salary | $34K |
| Teacher salary | $35K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)