Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School (SOC 25-2052) earn a median $65,120 a year in the United States, with 260,870 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school do
Special education teachers at the kindergarten and elementary level teach academic, social, and life skills to students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities, including those who are blind or have visual impairments, deaf or have hearing impairments, or have intellectual disabilities. This OEWS category combines two SOC occupations, one for kindergarten and one for elementary school. For the elementary occupation, O*NET's task list includes instructing students in academic subjects with techniques such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition, modifying the general elementary curriculum, teaching socially acceptable behavior through behavior modification or positive reinforcement, and keeping the student records that laws and district policies require. They also prepare classrooms with materials for exploration and imaginative play, enforce rules for behavior, and provide assistive devices and help with access to facilities. Alternate titles include behavior specialist, Braille teacher, and cross-categorical special education teacher. Short-term substitutes are excluded from both codes.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Academic Interventionist, Adapted Physical Education Teacher, Behavior Specialist, Blind Teacher, Braille Teacher.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 260,870 |
| Annual | $49,350 | $59,710 | $65,120 | $80,280 | $103,010 | $72,650 | ||
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, kindergarten and elementary school 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 | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,070 | 1.52 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $65,450 | $79,880 | $97,910 | $103,510 | $128,370 | $94,970 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 23,280 | 1.28 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $63,180 | $76,700 | $97,170 | $108,320 | $123,590 | $93,510 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,450 | 0.97 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $65,950 | $78,960 | $95,040 | $106,330 | $126,570 | $93,970 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,220 | 1.98 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $61,200 | $76,370 | $91,350 | $101,240 | $127,210 | $89,550 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,070 | 2.14 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $60,420 | $62,170 | $84,300 | $95,000 | $98,170 | $80,910 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 56,760 | 4.03 | 2.40 |
| Annual | $50,030 | $60,390 | $62,330 | $65,990 | $74,240 | $63,310 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 23,280 | 1.28 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $63,180 | $76,700 | $97,170 | $108,320 | $123,590 | $93,510 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 21,130 | 2.18 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $59,460 | $66,300 | $81,260 | $117,540 | $133,280 | $91,610 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 14,040 | 2.30 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $49,790 | $60,700 | $77,960 | $97,370 | $104,490 | $77,170 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 11,610 | 2.71 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $61,710 | $64,600 | $76,660 | $97,770 | $103,680 | $80,520 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,440 | 1.45 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $74,560 | $78,330 | $105,290 | $123,590 | $123,590 | $100,660 | ||||
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 490 | 1.50 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $65,750 | $79,430 | $104,810 | $129,860 | $130,020 | $101,530 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,740 | 0.83 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $76,640 | $80,340 | $100,150 | $124,400 | $130,050 | $99,720 | ||||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 1.11 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $77,210 | $81,980 | $99,840 | $125,250 | $129,980 | $103,830 | ||||
| El Centro, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 180 | 2.68 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $62,290 | $80,910 | $99,020 | $133,060 | $178,860 | $110,170 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 22,270 | 2.35 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $63,420 | $74,690 | $91,610 | $116,520 | $133,270 | $94,060 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 15,810 | 3.90 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $61,040 | $62,570 | $64,830 | $71,920 | $74,240 | $66,270 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,680 | 3.86 | 2.30 |
| Annual | $51,230 | $62,090 | $65,080 | $71,990 | $75,120 | $65,300 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 11,210 | 2.48 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $53,010 | $62,300 | $79,690 | $100,640 | $104,490 | $80,080 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,410 | 1.02 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $62,800 | $77,160 | $96,970 | $117,070 | $123,430 | $93,880 | ||||
Top industries employing special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 99.2% of special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school nationally (258,680 jobs) at a median $65,080 a year, followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (0.1%) and Individual and Family Services (0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 258,680 | 99.2% | $65,080 | * |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 350 | 0.1% | $65,320 | * |
| Individual and Family Services NAICS 624100 | 340 | 0.1% | $62,460 | * |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 310 | 0.1% | $64,540 | * |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 300 | 0.1% | $83,870 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (260,870). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $61,640 for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in May 2021 and $65,120 in May 2025, with employment of 187,070 and 260,870.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $61,640 | * | 187,070 |
| May 2022 | $62,390 | * | 195,010 |
| May 2023 | $64,910 | * | 212,850 |
| May 2024 | $63,000 | * | 231,570 |
| May 2025 | $65,120 | * | 260,870 |
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
51 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 | District of Columbia profile | * | $97,910 | $65,450 | $128,370 | 1,070 | 1.52 | 0.91 |
| 2 | California profile | * | $97,170 | $63,180 | $123,590 | 23,280 | 1.28 | 0.76 |
| 3 | Washington profile | * | $95,040 | $65,950 | $126,570 | 3,450 | 0.97 | 0.58 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | * | $91,350 | $61,200 | $127,210 | 7,220 | 1.98 | 1.18 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | * | $84,300 | $60,420 | $98,170 | 1,070 | 2.14 | 1.28 |
| 6 | Connecticut profile | * | $82,950 | $58,560 | $107,040 | 2,810 | 1.66 | 0.99 |
| 7 | New York profile | * | $81,260 | $59,460 | $133,280 | 21,130 | 2.18 | 1.30 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | * | $80,230 | $58,690 | $97,820 | 320 | 0.97 | 0.58 |
| 9 | Maryland profile | * | $78,850 | $60,720 | $121,310 | 2,760 | 1.00 | 0.60 |
| 10 | Illinois profile | * | $77,960 | $49,790 | $104,490 | 14,040 | 2.30 | 1.37 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | * | $77,700 | $58,620 | $105,820 | 1,520 | 0.77 | 0.46 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | * | $76,660 | $61,710 | $103,680 | 11,610 | 2.71 | 1.61 |
| 13 | New Mexico profile | * | $76,420 | $58,110 | $100,460 | 880 | 1.01 | 0.60 |
| 14 | Michigan profile | * | $74,600 | $48,720 | $100,370 | 4,010 | 0.91 | 0.54 |
| 15 | Colorado profile | * | $74,290 | $50,700 | $98,480 | 4,010 | 1.39 | 0.83 |
| 16 | Vermont profile | * | $74,200 | $49,730 | $97,620 | 770 | 2.53 | 1.51 |
| 17 | Ohio profile | * | $73,970 | $46,870 | $99,490 | 9,550 | 1.72 | 1.03 |
| 18 | Georgia profile | * | $72,880 | $49,510 | $98,750 | 9,370 | 1.92 | 1.14 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $72,680 | $51,730 | $98,170 | 7,640 | 1.26 | 0.75 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | * | $67,740 | $50,830 | $101,120 | 7,440 | 1.81 | 1.08 |
| 21 | Minnesota profile | * | $67,620 | $49,050 | $96,240 | 3,960 | 1.34 | 0.80 |
| 22 | Delaware profile | * | $65,990 | $51,350 | $95,500 | 1,070 | 2.20 | 1.31 |
| 23 | New Hampshire profile | * | $65,160 | $44,620 | $89,080 | 1,110 | 1.62 | 0.97 |
| 24 | Nevada profile | * | $65,110 | $47,810 | $93,550 | 430 | 0.28 | 0.16 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | * | $64,520 | $50,510 | $77,150 | 870 | 0.41 | 0.24 |
| 26 | Idaho profile | * | $63,610 | $48,670 | $86,370 | 620 | 0.72 | 0.43 |
| 27 | Tennessee profile | * | $62,560 | $49,860 | $79,360 | 3,910 | 1.19 | 0.71 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | * | $62,420 | $47,430 | $79,470 | 1,900 | 1.85 | 1.11 |
| 29 | South Carolina profile | * | $62,360 | $49,540 | $79,150 | 2,950 | 1.28 | 0.76 |
| 30 | Texas profile | * | $62,330 | $50,030 | $74,240 | 56,760 | 4.03 | 2.40 |
| 31 | Maine profile | * | $61,880 | $45,620 | $79,390 | 1,320 | 2.07 | 1.23 |
| 32 | Wisconsin profile | * | $61,520 | $47,940 | $79,210 | 4,280 | 1.45 | 0.87 |
| 33 | Utah profile | * | $61,290 | $37,970 | $100,280 | 1,890 | 1.09 | 0.65 |
| 34 | Hawaii profile | * | $60,940 | $58,730 | $78,760 | 1,270 | 2.02 | 1.20 |
| 35 | Wyoming profile | * | $60,930 | $52,200 | $77,070 | 650 | 2.32 | 1.38 |
| 36 | Iowa profile | * | $60,440 | $47,490 | $77,260 | 2,560 | 1.65 | 0.98 |
| 37 | Kentucky profile | * | $60,060 | $46,070 | $75,560 | 3,710 | 1.85 | 1.10 |
| 38 | Kansas profile | * | $59,970 | $48,830 | $75,940 | 1,610 | 1.12 | 0.67 |
| 39 | Florida profile | * | $58,850 | $51,730 | $74,160 | 8,740 | 0.88 | 0.52 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | * | $58,800 | $46,690 | $71,620 | 4,000 | 2.07 | 1.23 |
| 41 | Indiana profile | * | $58,760 | $46,730 | $78,490 | 3,640 | 1.14 | 0.68 |
| 42 | North Carolina profile | * | $58,260 | $44,720 | $73,990 | 4,430 | 0.90 | 0.53 |
| 43 | North Dakota profile | * | $57,950 | $47,060 | $77,150 | 590 | 1.39 | 0.83 |
| 44 | Montana profile | * | $57,630 | $42,890 | $78,930 | 560 | 1.09 | 0.65 |
| 45 | Missouri profile | * | $57,260 | $43,880 | $83,330 | 2,860 | 0.98 | 0.58 |
| 46 | Arizona profile | * | $56,030 | $46,400 | $75,420 | 2,450 | 0.76 | 0.45 |
| 47 | Arkansas profile | * | $54,290 | $49,890 | $63,630 | 1,430 | 1.10 | 0.65 |
| 48 | South Dakota profile | * | $51,090 | $47,300 | $61,740 | 790 | 1.74 | 1.04 |
| 49 | Oklahoma profile | * | $50,630 | $43,870 | $73,990 | 2,360 | 1.38 | 0.82 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | * | $50,570 | $46,600 | $60,900 | 2,530 | 2.18 | 1.30 |
| 51 | West Virginia profile | * | $50,380 | $42,890 | $63,460 | 1,690 | 2.40 | 1.43 |
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 25-2052 Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School.
*- Wage 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 25-2055, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-2056, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-2055.00, 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.