Special Education Teachers Salary: $62,190 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 28,200 special education teachers work nationally, and $62,190 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 83% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.5% annual growth.
Special Education Teachers: what the data shows
Common questions about special education teachers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a special education teachers?
Special Education Teachers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 25-2051.
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 28,200 workers.
What does a special education teachers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Training and Teaching Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a special education teachers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $62,190 (May 2024 in our extract).
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,626 |
| 25th percentile | $47,846 |
| Median (50th) | $57,409 |
| 75th percentile | $66,951 |
| 90th percentile | $96,267 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and knowledge areas including English Language, Education and Training, Psychology, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is special education teachers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 37.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 88.2%.
Current U.S. headcount: 28,200.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do special education teacherss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 35,120 | 17.9% |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 34,310 | 17.4% |
| Cross-industry | 28,200 | 14.3% |
| Educational Services | 17,560 | 8.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 17,130 | 8.7% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 16,970 | 8.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Special Education Teachers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | 1,393,310 | $62,340 |
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Middle School Teachers | 620,370 | $62,970 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
| Teachers and Instructors, All Other | 125,010 | $64,690 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 114,410 | $61,430 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Special Education Teachers workforce.
Employment Over Time
28,200 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Special Education Teachers grew from 5,440 in 2013 to 11,620 in 2025 (113.6%).
Historical employment for Special Education Teachers from the California OEWS series, 2013–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$62,190 Median pay (BLS national)
Special Education Teachers earn $62,190 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Special Education Teachers.
Salary distribution for Special Education Teachers.
Employment Growth Projections
6.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
15,941 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 37.2%
21,871 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 88.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 6.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Special Education Teachers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Special Education Teachers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Special Education Teachers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Special Education Teachers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-14.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Special Education Teachers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Special Education Teachers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- NY: 4,460 employees, $114,720 avg wage
- CA: 3,440 employees, $60,640 avg wage
- FL: 2,190 employees, $52,640 avg wage
- NJ: 1,830 employees, $94,410 avg wage
- TX: 1,630 employees, $56,880 avg wage
- MN: 1,130 employees, $66,910 avg wage
- OH: 1,130 employees, $67,660 avg wage
- MO: 1,110 employees, $51,580 avg wage
- IL: 1,030 employees, $63,870 avg wage
- WA: 880 employees, $86,250 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Special Education Teachers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 4,420 employees, $122,240 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 840 employees, $63,170 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 680 employees, $53,470 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 670 employees, $70,930 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 530 employees, $82,320 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 500 employees, $81,280 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 500 employees, $82,520 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 490 employees, $88,940 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 460 employees, $62,970 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 390 employees, $79,980 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Special Education Teachers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Special Education Teachers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Special Education Teachers is about 28,200 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Special Education Teachers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Special Education Teachers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Special Education Teachers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Special Education Teachers in 2023 were Special Education, Education, Psychology.
Common majors for Special Education Teachers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Special Education Teachers workers.
Education level distribution for Special Education Teachers.
Skills
Special Education Teachers need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Special Education Teachers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Special Education Teachers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Special Education Teachers include English Language, Education and Training, Psychology, Public Safety and Security, Therapy and Counseling.
Knowledge areas required for Special Education Teachers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Special Education Teachers include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Written Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Special Education Teachers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Special Education Teachers.
Daily Activities
Special Education Teachers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Special Education Teachers.
About
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
Special Education Teachers earn $62,190 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
25-2051 - Special Education Teachers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Special Education Teachers reports an average salary of $62,288.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 28,200 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 6.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.