Special Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations · 164K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$74,260
Median hourly
$36
Average annual
$77,260
Typical range
$49,800–$109,100
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School is $74,260 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 $36 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Teach academic, social, and life skills to secondary 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 $49,800 and $109,100 a year. There are roughly 164K people employed as special education teachers, secondary 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, Secondary School.
- Hourly
- $35.70
- Daily
- $286
- Weekly
- $1,428
- Bi-weekly
- $2,856
- Monthly
- $6,188
- Annual
- $74,260
$74,260 a year is around the 50th percentile for Special Education Teachers, Secondary Schools. The median is $74,260.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$101,120
- 2California$101,060
- 3District of Columbia$99,670
- 4Maryland$93,530
- 5Rhode Island$92,990
- 6New York$89,310
- 7Massachusetts$83,890
- 8New Jersey$83,770
- 9Connecticut$81,710
- 10Alaska$80,580
- 11Illinois$79,890
- 12Vermont$79,360
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$117,640
- 2San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$115,160
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$105,160
- 4Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$104,090
- 5Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$103,730
- 6Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$103,420
- 7Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$102,890
- 8Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$102,290
- 9Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$101,700
- 10Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA$101,060
- 11Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$101,060
- 12Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$100,900
Related job titles
Employers advertise Special Education Teachers, Secondary School roles under these titles.
- Blind Teacher
- Braille Teacher
- Career and Transition Teacher
- Career Preparation Instructor
- Cross Categorical Special Education Teacher
- Deaf Teacher
- Emotionally Impaired Teacher
- Exceptional Children's Teacher (EC Teacher)
- Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher)
- Handicapped Teacher
- Hearing Impaired Teacher
- High School Learning Support Teacher
- High School Special Education Teacher
- Inclusion Special Educator
- Inclusion Specialist
- Interrelated Special Education Teacher
Related occupations
- Special Education Teachers, Middle School$66,810
- Special Education Teachers, Preschool$64,830
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$61,540
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$62,680
- Tutors$43,350
What a Special Education Teachers, Secondary School does
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress.
- Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs.
- Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Special Education Teachers, Secondary School make?
- The median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School is $74,260 ($36 per hour). Pay ranges from about $49,800 at the 10th percentile to $109,100 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Special Education Teachers, Secondary School?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $77,260, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Secondary Schools the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $101,120.
- Is Special Education Teachers, Secondary School a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 164K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Special Education Teachers, Secondary School do?
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.; Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.; Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress..