Special Education Teachers, Middle School Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 95K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$66,810
Median hourly
$32
Average annual
$73,780
Typical range
$49,420–$102,510
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Special Education Teachers, Middle School is $66,810 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 $32 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities..
Most earn between $49,420 and $102,510 a year. There are roughly 95K people employed as special education teachers, middle 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, Middle School.
- Hourly
- $32.12
- Daily
- $257
- Weekly
- $1,285
- Bi-weekly
- $2,570
- Monthly
- $5,568
- Annual
- $66,810
$66,810 a year is around the 50th percentile for Special Education Teachers, Middle Schools. The median is $66,810.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$101,530
- 2Washington$99,520
- 3Rhode Island$93,970
- 4New York$93,820
- 5Connecticut$92,900
- 6Massachusetts$84,550
- 7Alaska$81,000
- 8District of Columbia$79,170
- 9New Jersey$79,110
- 10Utah$78,920
- 11Oregon$78,360
- 12Delaware$77,420
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$121,070
- 2Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$110,850
- 3Fresno, CA$104,540
- 4Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$104,450
- 5Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$103,880
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$103,580
- 7Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$101,560
- 8Bellingham, WA$101,120
- 9Salinas, CA$100,840
- 10Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$100,350
- 11Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$99,190
- 12Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$97,980
Related job titles
Employers advertise Special Education Teachers, Middle School roles under these titles.
- Exceptional Children Teacher (EC Teacher)
- Inclusion Teacher
- Intervention Specialist
- Intervention Teacher
- Learning Disabilities Special Education Teacher
- Learning Disabilities Teacher (LD Teacher)
- Mentally Impaired Teacher
- Middle School Resource Teacher
- Middle School Special Education Teacher
- MMI Teacher (Mildly Mentally Impaired Teacher)
- Reading Interventionist
- Resource Room Teacher
- Self-Contained Special Education Teacher
- SLD Teacher (Specific Learning Disability Teacher)
- Special Educator
- Special Needs Teacher
Related occupations
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$74,260
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool$64,830
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Tutors$43,350
What a Special Education Teachers, Middle School does
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
- Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
- Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.
- Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Special Education Teachers, Middle School make?
- The median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Middle School is $66,810 ($32 per hour). Pay ranges from about $49,420 at the 10th percentile to $102,510 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Special Education Teachers, Middle School?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $73,780, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Middle Schools the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $101,530.
- Is Special Education Teachers, Middle School a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 95K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Special Education Teachers, Middle School do?
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.; Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.; Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems..