Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 261K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$65,120
Median hourly
$31
Average annual
$72,650
Typical range
$49,350–$103,010
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $65,120 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $31 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Most earn between $49,350 and $103,010 a year. There are roughly 261K people employed as special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School.
- Hourly
- $31.31
- Daily
- $250
- Weekly
- $1,252
- Bi-weekly
- $2,505
- Monthly
- $5,427
- Annual
- $65,120
$65,120 a year is around the 50th percentile for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary Schools. The median is $65,120.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$97,910
- 2California$97,170
- 3Washington$95,040
- 4Massachusetts$91,350
- 5Rhode Island$84,300
- 6Connecticut$82,950
- 7New York$81,260
- 8Alaska$80,230
- 9Maryland$78,850
- 10Illinois$77,960
- 11Oregon$77,700
- 12New Jersey$76,660
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$105,290
- 2Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$104,810
- 3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$100,150
- 4Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$99,840
- 5El Centro, CA$99,020
- 6Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$98,940
- 7San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$98,640
- 8Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$98,330
- 9Vallejo, CA$98,260
- 10San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$97,860
- 11Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$97,410
- 12Merced, CA$97,340
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School make?
- The median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $65,120 ($31 per hour). Pay ranges from about $49,350 at the 10th percentile to $103,010 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $72,650, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary Schools the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $97,910.
- Is Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 261K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.