Special Education Teachers, All Other
Special Education Teachers, All Other (SOC 25-2059) earn a median $76,580 a year in the United States, with 33,930 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What special education teachers, all other do
This residual category covers special education teachers who are not listed under the more specific codes for preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, or secondary school. O*NET's alternate titles give examples, including special education teachers for adults with disabilities, teachers of the visually impaired, and autism tutors. The source definition is a single line, and O*NET lists no core tasks for this code, so the description rests on what special education work generally involves: teaching academic, social, and life skills to students with disabilities. A teacher assigned to a specific school level is classified under that level's code. The category is a catch-all, so the definition does not fix the students served or the work setting. Because the title list is the main published description of this code, its examples are illustrative rather than complete.
Also called: Autism Tutor, Special Education Preschool Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher for Adults with Disabilities, Teacher of the Visually Impaired.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 33,930 |
| Annual | $48,440 | $60,930 | $76,580 | $99,690 | $120,080 | $79,750 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where special education teachers, all other earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,920 | 0.49 | 2.24 |
| Annual | $64,830 | $82,090 | $103,050 | $120,860 | $126,210 | $101,160 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 0.11 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $79,710 | $86,520 | $86,520 | $107,250 | $107,250 | $94,040 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 50 | 0.09 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $61,820 | $75,040 | $85,040 | $96,090 | $102,500 | $84,030 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 820 | 0.42 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $58,820 | $71,280 | $82,240 | $95,890 | $136,490 | $86,380 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.23 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $50,670 | $62,800 | $80,080 | $83,300 | $98,940 | $74,530 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,920 | 0.49 | 2.24 |
| Annual | $64,830 | $82,090 | $103,050 | $120,860 | $126,210 | $101,160 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,320 | 0.75 | 3.45 |
| Annual | $49,500 | $62,060 | $78,540 | $85,470 | $101,330 | $75,610 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,020 | 1.10 | 5.02 |
| Annual | $61,390 | $64,410 | $76,100 | $100,370 | $105,130 | $82,430 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,560 | 0.42 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $47,660 | $51,420 | $64,850 | $79,110 | $100,320 | $69,780 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,170 | 0.22 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $47,130 | $58,690 | $65,970 | $81,570 | $126,430 | $78,020 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Salinas, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 200 | 1.07 | 4.89 |
| Annual | $73,860 | $101,620 | $112,900 | $121,610 | $129,140 | $107,370 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.73 | 3.34 |
| Annual | $79,670 | $95,370 | $110,000 | $125,510 | $125,510 | $108,010 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,230 | 0.68 | 3.09 |
| Annual | $73,930 | $95,860 | $109,600 | $120,860 | $120,860 | $106,570 | ||||
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 140 | 0.71 | 3.24 |
| Annual | $73,150 | $78,780 | $107,390 | $120,450 | $142,130 | $105,090 | ||||
| Visalia, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 200 | 1.14 | 5.24 |
| Annual | $73,760 | $93,370 | $107,190 | $124,870 | $124,870 | $104,710 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 4,230 | 0.68 | 3.09 |
| Annual | $73,930 | $95,860 | $109,600 | $120,860 | $120,860 | $106,570 | ||||
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,270 | 1.67 | 7.67 |
| Annual | $62,250 | $67,440 | $76,090 | $100,360 | $104,970 | $83,510 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,880 | 0.20 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $48,720 | $59,550 | $66,170 | $81,570 | $126,200 | $78,580 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,550 | 0.34 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $49,550 | $60,990 | $74,180 | $83,760 | $103,030 | $75,040 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,250 | 0.66 | 3.01 |
| Annual | $49,350 | $62,990 | $79,500 | $87,910 | $106,020 | $77,660 | ||||
Top industries employing special education teachers, all other
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 72.9% of special education teachers, all other nationally (24,730 jobs) at a median $78,840 a year, followed by Educational Support Services (4.6%) and Individual and Family Services (4.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 24,730 | 72.9% | $78,840 | * |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 1,560 | 4.6% | $77,340 | * |
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 1,380 | 4.1% | $58,690 | * |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 1,060 | 3.1% | $62,180 | * |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 900 | 2.7% | $75,330 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (33,930). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,720 for special education teachers, all other in May 2021 and $76,580 in May 2025, with employment of 38,000 and 33,930.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,720 | * | 38,000 |
| May 2022 | $63,950 | * | 42,780 |
| May 2023 | $67,190 | * | 43,700 |
| May 2024 | $67,430 | * | 39,350 |
| May 2025 | $76,580 | * | 33,930 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
42 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | * | $103,050 | $64,830 | $126,210 | 8,920 | 0.49 | 2.24 |
| 2 | New Mexico profile | * | $86,520 | $79,710 | $107,250 | 100 | 0.11 | 0.51 |
| 3 | Delaware profile | * | $85,040 | $61,820 | $102,500 | 50 | 0.09 | 0.43 |
| 4 | Oregon profile | * | $82,240 | $58,820 | $136,490 | 820 | 0.42 | 1.90 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | * | $80,080 | $50,670 | $98,940 | 110 | 0.23 | 1.05 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | * | $79,290 | $44,960 | $98,920 | 180 | 0.06 | 0.28 |
| 7 | Michigan profile | * | $78,540 | $49,500 | $101,330 | 3,320 | 0.75 | 3.45 |
| 8 | Massachusetts profile | * | $78,440 | $56,800 | $108,850 | 300 | 0.08 | 0.37 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | * | $77,280 | $51,690 | $108,040 | 540 | 0.13 | 0.60 |
| 10 | Washington profile | * | $76,790 | $48,630 | $101,280 | 170 | 0.05 | 0.21 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $76,530 | $46,990 | $99,500 | 450 | 0.08 | 0.34 |
| 12 | Georgia profile | * | $76,130 | $48,440 | $101,560 | 980 | 0.20 | 0.92 |
| 13 | Maryland profile | * | $76,100 | $61,390 | $105,130 | 3,020 | 1.10 | 5.02 |
| 14 | District of Columbia profile | * | $71,130 | $42,860 | $107,140 | 130 | 0.19 | 0.87 |
| 15 | New Jersey profile | * | $71,110 | $48,780 | $103,980 | 610 | 0.14 | 0.65 |
| 16 | Iowa profile | * | $71,050 | $36,390 | $90,870 | 340 | 0.22 | 0.99 |
| 17 | Minnesota profile | * | $69,470 | $47,490 | $98,100 | 180 | 0.06 | 0.28 |
| 18 | Florida profile | * | $68,690 | $50,570 | $97,240 | 900 | 0.09 | 0.42 |
| 19 | Utah profile | * | $67,860 | $52,440 | $99,250 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.27 |
| 20 | Wisconsin profile | * | $66,910 | $40,540 | $80,510 | 160 | 0.05 | 0.24 |
| 21 | New Hampshire profile | * | $66,670 | $51,830 | $78,800 | 160 | 0.23 | 1.05 |
| 22 | New York profile | * | $65,970 | $47,130 | $126,430 | 2,170 | 0.22 | 1.03 |
| 23 | Texas profile | * | $65,710 | $43,980 | $84,230 | 880 | 0.06 | 0.29 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | * | $65,170 | $50,440 | $74,940 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | Illinois profile | * | $64,850 | $47,660 | $100,320 | 2,560 | 0.42 | 1.92 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | * | $64,410 | $54,800 | $83,210 | 1,230 | 0.80 | 3.64 |
| 27 | Tennessee profile | * | $63,300 | $45,490 | $81,740 | 180 | 0.06 | 0.26 |
| 28 | Kentucky profile | * | $63,140 | $48,410 | $83,780 | 290 | 0.14 | 0.66 |
| 29 | Arkansas profile | * | $61,690 | $50,490 | $79,630 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.25 |
| 30 | North Dakota profile | * | $61,500 | $50,830 | $80,180 | 90 | 0.20 | 0.92 |
| 31 | Connecticut profile | * | $61,480 | $40,730 | $102,050 | 1,400 | 0.82 | 3.77 |
| 32 | Louisiana profile | * | $61,170 | $47,390 | $79,130 | 610 | 0.32 | 1.45 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | * | $60,920 | $48,240 | $72,490 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.11 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | * | $59,760 | $38,950 | $105,680 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.28 |
| 35 | Arizona profile | * | $59,500 | $45,680 | $92,330 | ** | ** | ** |
| 36 | Maine profile | * | $56,780 | $52,480 | $89,000 | ** | ** | ** |
| 37 | Ohio profile | * | $51,230 | $37,530 | $92,020 | 580 | 0.11 | 0.48 |
| 38 | Missouri profile | * | $49,610 | $43,310 | $83,240 | 210 | 0.07 | 0.33 |
| 39 | Alabama profile | * | $49,520 | $37,590 | $88,710 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.24 |
| 40 | Vermont profile | * | $46,980 | $45,140 | $65,980 | 70 | 0.25 | 1.13 |
| 41 | Mississippi profile | * | $46,700 | $27,410 | $69,620 | 60 | 0.05 | 0.24 |
| 42 | West Virginia profile | * | $39,920 | $30,050 | $51,810 | 530 | 0.75 | 3.44 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-2050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-2059 Special Education Teachers, All Other.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-2059, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-2059.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.