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Special education teacher (elementary): pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$65,120median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $49,350lowest 10% earn less
  2. $59,71025th percentile
  3. $65,120median
  4. $80,28075th percentile
  5. $103,010top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Special education teachers in kindergarten and elementary school had a median pay of $65,120 a year in May 2025[1]. BLS projects employment to dip 0.4% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-0.4%[2]
Openings per year
16,400[5]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[6]

How much do special education teachers make?

The median pay for kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers was $65,120 a year in May 2025[1]. Half earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $72,650[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,350, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $103,010[3]. The 25th percentile was $59,710 and the 75th was $80,280[3]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this job, not hourly wages, since many teachers work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly[8].

Point Annual wage
10th percentile[3] $49,350
25th percentile[3] $59,710
Median[1] $65,120
75th percentile[3] $80,280
90th percentile[3] $103,010

A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes no starting salary[9]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and the cost of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions[10]. Only 0.2% of these teachers were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median at $97,910 a year[12]. California followed at $97,170, then Washington at $95,040, Massachusetts at $91,350 and Rhode Island at $84,300[12]. West Virginia was last among the published areas at $50,380[12].

Texas had the most jobs at 56,760[13]. California had 23,280, New York 21,130, Illinois 14,040 and New Jersey 11,610[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont had the highest median at $105,290[14]. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura followed at $104,810 and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue at $100,150[14]. New York-Newark-Jersey City had the most jobs, 22,270, with a median of $91,610[15]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had 15,810 jobs and a median of $64,830[15].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[12]$97,9101,070
California$97,17023,280
Washington$95,0403,450
Massachusetts$91,3507,220
Rhode Island$84,3001,070
Connecticut$82,9502,810
New York$81,26021,130
Alaska$80,230320
Maryland$78,8502,760
Illinois$77,96014,040
Oregon$77,7001,520
New Jersey$76,66011,610
New Mexico$76,420880
Michigan$74,6004,010
Colorado$74,2904,010
Vermont$74,200770
Ohio$73,9709,550
Georgia$72,8809,370
Pennsylvania$72,6807,640
Virginia$67,7407,440
Minnesota$67,6203,960
Delaware$65,9901,070
New Hampshire$65,1601,110
Nevada$65,110430
Alabama$64,520870
Idaho$63,610620
Tennessee$62,5603,910
Nebraska$62,4201,900
South Carolina$62,3602,950
Texas$62,33056,760
Maine$61,8801,320
Wisconsin$61,5204,280
Utah$61,2901,890
Hawaii$60,9401,270
Wyoming$60,930650
Iowa$60,4402,560
Kentucky$60,0603,710
Kansas$59,9701,610
Florida$58,8508,740
Louisiana$58,8004,000
Indiana$58,7603,640
North Carolina$58,2604,430
North Dakota$57,950590
Montana$57,630560
Missouri$57,2602,860
Arizona$56,0302,450
Arkansas$54,2901,430
South Dakota$51,090790
Oklahoma$50,6302,360
Mississippi$50,5702,530
West Virginia$50,3801,690

How to become a special education teacher

The training details here come from a BLS profile that covers a wider group of special education teachers[16].

Public schools require at least a bachelor's degree and a state license or certification. Private schools typically ask for a bachelor's degree but not a license[20].

License rules vary by state. They generally involve a bachelor's degree plus a minimum grade point average, student teaching, a background check, and passing a general teaching test plus a test in the subject you will teach[21][22][23][24][25]. Every state also offers an alternative route for people who already hold a bachelor's degree[26]. Some states may ask teachers to finish a master's degree in special education after they are hired, to become fully certified[17].

Where they work

For the wider group of special education teachers, the largest employer was local elementary and secondary schools, at 86%[27]. A small number of special education teachers work in residential facilities, hospitals or students' homes. Some visit homes to work with infants and toddlers and show parents how to help their child build skills[28].

Teachers typically work during school hours. They also grade papers, update records and plan lessons, and may meet with parents and colleagues before or after class[29]. Many follow the traditional 10-month school year[30] with a summer break and a short winter break. Some teach in summer programs[30]. In year-round districts, teachers typically work 9 weeks, then have 3 weeks off[31]. BLS notes that helping students with disabilities can be stressful, emotionally demanding and physically draining[32].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 0.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 259,100 to 258,100 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[33]. These counts include the self-employed[2]. The OEWS count of about 260,870 covers wage and salary jobs only[34].

About 16,400 openings a year are projected[5]. Openings include jobs that come up when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.1% of workers leave the labor force and 3.3% move to another occupation[35].

Is it a good fit?

Pay is above the all-occupations median, and the main entry step is a bachelor's degree[1][4][6]. Public school jobs also need a state license, and the rules differ by state[20][21]. Employment is projected to be nearly flat, but turnover creates many openings each year[2][5]. The work follows a school-year calendar for many teachers and can be demanding[30][32].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a special education teacher make?
The median was $65,120 a year in May 2025, and the average was $72,650[1][7]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this job[8].
What degree do you need to be a special education teacher?
The typical entry education is a bachelor's degree[6]. Public schools also require a state license or certification[20].
Is special education teaching in demand?
Employment is projected to decline 0.4% from 2025 to 2035[2]. About 16,400 openings a year are still projected[5].
What is the highest paying state for special education teachers?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $97,910 a year, followed by California at $97,170[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the US was $65,120 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is projected to decline 0.4% from 2025 to 2035, from about 259,100 to 258,100 jobs (a change of -900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School: 10th percentile $49,350, 25th percentile $59,710, 75th percentile $80,280, 90th percentile $103,010. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 16,400 openings for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School was $72,650 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS publishes only annual wages for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 0.2% of Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs: Texas 56,760; California 23,280; New York 21,130; Illinois 14,040; New Jersey 11,610. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $105,290; Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $104,810; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $100,150; El Centro, CA $99,020; Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $98,940; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $98,640; Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $98,330; Vallejo, CA $98,260. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 22,270 (median $91,610); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 15,810 (median $64,830); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 12,680 (median $65,080); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 11,210 (median $79,690); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,410 (median $96,970); Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 6,190 (median $60,750). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Special Education Teachers" covers Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of special education teachers in 2025: Elementary and secondary schools; local 86%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 260,870 people were employed as Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  35. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School: 3.1% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.