Average Special Education Teachers, Preschool Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Special Education Teachers, Preschool is $62,190 per year. The middle 50% earn between $49,370 and $81,330, with 28,200 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 41 states and 96 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Special Education Teachers, Preschool 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
- $38,740
- 25th
- $49,370
- Median
- $62,190
- 75th
- $81,330
- 90th
- $132,530
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Special Education Teachers, Preschool earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what special education teachers, preschool earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for special education teachers, preschool from 2024 to 2034. Growth is below the US average of roughly 4% across all occupations. The field is relatively stable but not expanding quickly.
- Projected growth
- +1.4%
- 400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,100
- 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, preschool.
Where Special Education Teachers, Preschool earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where special education teachers, preschool work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New York at $129,860, about 108.8% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $132,930.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $129,860 | 4,460 |
| New Jersey | $86,650 | 1,830 |
| Massachusetts | $82,740 | 680 |
| Washington | $80,080 | 880 |
| Georgia | $78,300 | 650 |
| Alaska | $77,370 | 140 |
| Michigan | $73,630 | 300 |
| Vermont | $70,160 | 70 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $132,930 | 4,420 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $83,490 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,890 | 300 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $82,760 | 500 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $82,370 | 500 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $80,720 | 490 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $80,090 | N/A |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $79,800 | 70 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see special education teachers, preschool pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Special Education Teachers, Preschool rose from $60,000 to $62,190, a gain of +3.6% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $60,000 would need to be worth $73,619 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $62,190 is −$11,429 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -15.5% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 3.6% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +3.6%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -15.5%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Special Education Teachers, Preschool median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $60,000
- 2020
- $61,400
- 2021
- $62,420
- 2022
- $62,240
- 2023
- $65,270
- 2024
- $62,190
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
Common salary questions for Special Education Teachers, Preschool
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Special Education Teachers, Preschool 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 2024 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.