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Special education teacher salary in Texas

Updated November 2, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$62,330median pay per year in Texas, May 2025[1]
  1. $50,030lowest 10% earn less
  2. $60,39025th percentile
  3. $62,330median
  4. $65,99075th percentile
  5. $74,240top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $65,120[3]

The median pay for special education teachers in Texas was $62,330 a year in May 2025[1]. That was lower than the US median of $65,120[3].

Jobs in TX
56,760[4]
Rank by median pay
30 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
−4.3%[6]

How much do special education teachers make in Texas?

The median means half of the special education teachers in Texas earned more than $62,330 a year and half earned less[1]. The average was a little higher, at $63,310 a year[7]. Across the US, the median was $65,120, so Texas sat $2,790 below it[6]. Compared with all jobs in the state, the median for this job was $13,710 higher than the $48,620 all-jobs median[8][9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $50,030, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $74,240[2]. The middle half of workers fell between $60,390 and $65,990[2]. BLS publishes only yearly wages for this job, not hourly ones[10].

Among Texas metro areas with a published median, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands had the highest, at $65,080[11]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the largest job count, with a median of $64,830[12]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[13].

Texas vs US pay

Pay for special education teachers in Texas next to the national figures[1][3].

TXUS
Median per year$62,330[1]$65,120[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$50,030[2]$49,350[14]
Top 10% earn more than$74,240[2]$103,010[14]
Jobs56,760[4]260,870[3]

Pay by metro area in Texas

Metro areas in Texas with the most jobs for special education teachers, and the median pay in each[12].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX[12]$64,83015,810
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$65,08012,680
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$60,7506,190
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$62,2303,670
El Paso, TX$64,0002,380
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$62,6001,530
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$61,4401,060
Corpus Christi, TX$60,440700

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for special education teachers in the states that border Texas, highest first[15].

StateMedian per yearJobs
New Mexico[15]$76,420880
Louisiana$58,8004,000
Arkansas$54,2901,430
Oklahoma$50,6302,360

Median pay for special education teachers in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for special education teachers are projected to decline 0.4% from 2025 to 2035[16]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: bachelor's degree[17].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a special education teacher make in Texas?
The median was $62,330 a year in May 2025, and the average was $63,310[1][7].
Which city in Texas pays special education teachers the most?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands had the highest median of the metro areas with a published figure, at $65,080 a year[11].
Is Texas a good state for special education teachers?
Texas had the 30th highest median wage for this job out of the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was $2,790 below the US median[6].
What do you need to become a special education teacher in Texas?
This is a US figure, not a state one. Across the US, the typical entry education is a bachelor's degree, with no work experience or on-the-job training needed[17].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Texas was $62,330 per year. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Texas: 10th percentile $50,030, 25th percentile $60,390, 75th percentile $65,990, 90th percentile $74,240. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the US as a whole was $65,120 per year, with about 260,870 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 56,760 people worked as Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Texas (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Texas had the 30th highest median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Texas ($62,330) was $2,790 (4.3%) lower than the US median ($65,120). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Texas was $63,310 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Texas was $13,710 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($48,620). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Texas was $48,620. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. 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
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 24 metro areas in or partly in Texas with a published median for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX had the highest median annual wage, $65,080. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. 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
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the US: 10th percentile $49,350, 25th percentile $59,710, 75th percentile $80,280, 90th percentile $103,010. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in states that border Texas (highest first): New Mexico $76,420; Louisiana $58,800; Arkansas $54,290; Oklahoma $50,630. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is projected to decline 0.4% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 16,400 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), 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

State figures cover only Texas. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.