Average Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School is $65,120 per year. The middle 50% earn between $59,710 and $80,280, with 260,870 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 335 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $49,350
- 25th
- $59,710
- Median
- $65,120
- 75th
- $80,280
- 90th
- $103,010
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -1.8%
- -4,100 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 15,400
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school.
Where Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $97,910, about 50.4% above the national median. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads with a median of $105,290.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $97,910 | 1,070 |
| California | $97,170 | 23,280 |
| Washington | $95,040 | 3,450 |
| Massachusetts | $91,350 | 7,220 |
| Rhode Island | $84,300 | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $82,950 | 2,810 |
| New York | $81,260 | 21,130 |
| Alaska | $80,230 | 320 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $105,290 | 3,440 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $104,810 | 490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $100,150 | 1,740 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $99,840 | 60 |
| El Centro, CA | $99,020 | 180 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $98,940 | 300 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98,640 | 790 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $98,330 | 1,700 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School rose from $60,460 to $65,120, a gain of +7.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $60,460 would need to be worth $76,136 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $65,120 is −$11,016 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -14.5% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 7.7% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +7.7%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -14.5%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $65,120
- 2024
- $63,000
- 2023
- $64,910
- 2022
- $62,390
- 2021
- $61,640
- 2020
- $60,620
- 2019
- $60,460
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
Common salary questions for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten And Elementary School workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.