Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School (SOC 25-2058) earn a median $74,260 a year in the United States, with 163,930 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What special education teachers, secondary school do
Special education teachers at the secondary level teach academic, social, and life skills to secondary school students with disabilities in learning, emotion, or physical function, including students who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or intellectually disabled. They use special educational strategies and techniques during instruction, teach socially acceptable behavior through behavior modification and positive reinforcement, and set clear objectives for lessons, units, and projects. They keep accurate student records and prepare reports, prepare materials and classrooms, enforce rules for behavior, and confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, administrators, testing specialists, and social workers. General secondary school teachers and short-term substitutes are counted separately. Exceptional children's teacher, education specialist, and cross-categorical special education teacher are titles O*NET lists for this work.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Blind Teacher, Braille Teacher, Cross-Categorical SPED Teacher, Deaf Teacher, Education Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 163,930 |
| Annual | $49,800 | $60,180 | $74,260 | $93,730 | $109,100 | $77,260 | ||
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, secondary 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,510 | 0.71 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $67,880 | $80,620 | $101,120 | $112,750 | $128,090 | $97,960 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,100 | 0.66 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $63,390 | $79,740 | $101,060 | $123,840 | $131,600 | $102,780 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 440 | 0.63 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $80,640 | $82,460 | $99,670 | $127,940 | $127,940 | $101,340 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,560 | 0.56 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $62,160 | $72,120 | $93,530 | $104,030 | $119,110 | $89,120 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 830 | 1.66 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $46,580 | $68,930 | $92,990 | $96,930 | $99,900 | $83,100 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 15,250 | 1.57 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $60,740 | $75,470 | $89,310 | $130,550 | $134,460 | $95,910 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,100 | 0.66 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $63,390 | $79,740 | $101,060 | $123,840 | $131,600 | $102,780 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 11,040 | 1.82 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $51,110 | $61,210 | $77,000 | $90,160 | $101,880 | $76,080 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,580 | 1.91 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $47,800 | $58,910 | $76,180 | $85,170 | $100,400 | $73,730 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,200 | 0.73 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $52,270 | $61,340 | $64,830 | $73,180 | $77,700 | $66,450 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 400 | 0.35 | 0.34 |
| Annual | $74,590 | $92,000 | $117,640 | $129,220 | $148,320 | $110,740 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,220 | 0.79 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $78,240 | $82,000 | $115,160 | $131,900 | $211,540 | $121,230 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,260 | 0.53 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $64,480 | $80,160 | $105,160 | $124,220 | $149,310 | $106,980 | ||||
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 290 | 0.88 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $79,940 | $97,990 | $104,090 | $122,600 | $124,730 | $104,450 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,630 | 0.95 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $69,020 | $89,990 | $103,730 | $127,040 | $131,640 | $105,440 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 14,700 | 1.55 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $67,400 | $78,780 | $100,430 | $131,820 | $135,410 | $102,040 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,360 | 1.63 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $60,540 | $74,090 | $82,350 | $104,990 | $131,530 | $91,740 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,790 | 2.00 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $59,790 | $61,760 | $79,760 | $97,960 | $102,930 | $79,870 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,930 | 1.25 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $61,710 | $68,400 | $85,000 | $109,100 | $123,120 | $88,830 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,920 | 1.45 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $60,790 | $76,080 | $87,630 | $104,820 | $124,080 | $90,910 | ||||
Top industries employing special education teachers, secondary school
Elementary and Secondary Schools employ 96.9% of special education teachers, secondary school nationally (158,870 jobs) at a median $74,510 a year, followed by Educational Support Services (1.0%) and State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (0.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 158,870 | 96.9% | $74,510 | * |
| Educational Support Services NAICS 611700 | 1,640 | 1.0% | $61,600 | * |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 990 | 0.6% | $77,670 | * |
| Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities NAICS 623200 | 530 | 0.3% | $64,960 | * |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 390 | 0.2% | $76,450 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (163,930). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $62,120 for special education teachers, secondary school in May 2021 and $74,260 in May 2025, with employment of 145,690 and 163,930.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $62,120 | * | 145,690 |
| May 2022 | $63,560 | * | 152,490 |
| May 2023 | $66,620 | * | 158,150 |
| May 2024 | $69,590 | * | 162,780 |
| May 2025 | $74,260 | * | 163,930 |
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
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 | Washington profile | * | $101,120 | $67,880 | $128,090 | 2,510 | 0.71 | 0.67 |
| 2 | California profile | * | $101,060 | $63,390 | $131,600 | 12,100 | 0.66 | 0.63 |
| 3 | District of Columbia profile | * | $99,670 | $80,640 | $127,940 | 440 | 0.63 | 0.60 |
| 4 | Maryland profile | * | $93,530 | $62,160 | $119,110 | 1,560 | 0.56 | 0.53 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | * | $92,990 | $46,580 | $99,900 | 830 | 1.66 | 1.58 |
| 6 | New York profile | * | $89,310 | $60,740 | $134,460 | 15,250 | 1.57 | 1.49 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | * | $83,890 | $60,390 | $124,080 | 5,470 | 1.50 | 1.43 |
| 8 | New Jersey profile | * | $83,770 | $65,250 | $110,050 | 7,520 | 1.75 | 1.66 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | * | $81,710 | $60,150 | $111,880 | 1,920 | 1.13 | 1.07 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | * | $80,580 | $62,230 | $97,800 | 590 | 1.81 | 1.71 |
| 11 | Illinois profile | * | $79,890 | $49,920 | $129,260 | 9,490 | 1.56 | 1.48 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | * | $79,360 | $52,800 | $98,170 | 660 | 2.17 | 2.06 |
| 13 | Delaware profile | * | $78,490 | $57,020 | $94,830 | 1,160 | 2.39 | 2.27 |
| 14 | Michigan profile | * | $78,050 | $49,710 | $103,210 | 2,570 | 0.58 | 0.55 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | * | $77,400 | $49,810 | $98,920 | 1,240 | 0.63 | 0.60 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $77,000 | $51,110 | $101,880 | 11,040 | 1.82 | 1.73 |
| 17 | New Mexico profile | * | $76,940 | $60,190 | $90,580 | 2,150 | 2.47 | 2.35 |
| 18 | Minnesota profile | * | $76,600 | $49,410 | $102,390 | 4,130 | 1.40 | 1.33 |
| 19 | Ohio profile | * | $76,180 | $47,800 | $100,400 | 10,580 | 1.91 | 1.81 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | * | $74,150 | $56,910 | $97,720 | 4,090 | 0.84 | 0.79 |
| 21 | New Hampshire profile | * | $69,560 | $47,950 | $98,700 | 910 | 1.33 | 1.26 |
| 22 | Virginia profile | * | $68,400 | $50,510 | $109,100 | 6,380 | 1.55 | 1.47 |
| 23 | Colorado profile | * | $67,240 | $51,760 | $100,430 | 2,970 | 1.03 | 0.98 |
| 24 | Hawaii profile | * | $65,980 | $58,250 | $93,170 | 800 | 1.28 | 1.22 |
| 25 | Texas profile | * | $64,830 | $52,270 | $77,700 | 10,200 | 0.73 | 0.69 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | * | $64,300 | $49,240 | $110,560 | 1,960 | 0.60 | 0.57 |
| 27 | Utah profile | * | $64,210 | $34,130 | $97,380 | 1,220 | 0.70 | 0.67 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | * | $63,520 | $48,870 | $83,170 | 3,350 | 1.14 | 1.08 |
| 29 | Nebraska profile | * | $63,460 | $47,970 | $77,970 | 1,240 | 1.21 | 1.15 |
| 30 | Wyoming profile | * | $62,750 | $52,440 | $77,900 | 350 | 1.24 | 1.18 |
| 31 | Montana profile | * | $62,310 | $38,750 | $82,460 | 480 | 0.93 | 0.88 |
| 32 | Alabama profile | * | $62,210 | $50,020 | $75,030 | 740 | 0.35 | 0.33 |
| 33 | South Carolina profile | * | $62,150 | $49,330 | $83,020 | 1,780 | 0.77 | 0.73 |
| 34 | Maine profile | * | $61,710 | $48,200 | $82,350 | 860 | 1.34 | 1.27 |
| 35 | Florida profile | * | $61,510 | $51,360 | $79,170 | 7,940 | 0.80 | 0.76 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | * | $61,360 | $50,190 | $77,640 | 2,010 | 0.61 | 0.58 |
| 37 | North Dakota profile | * | $61,210 | $47,280 | $80,320 | 520 | 1.22 | 1.16 |
| 38 | Indiana profile | * | $61,130 | $46,940 | $85,710 | 2,580 | 0.81 | 0.76 |
| 39 | Nevada profile | * | $60,810 | $39,720 | $84,100 | 350 | 0.23 | 0.21 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | * | $60,780 | $46,840 | $81,570 | 1,570 | 1.01 | 0.96 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | * | $60,730 | $46,610 | $79,870 | 2,680 | 1.34 | 1.27 |
| 42 | Idaho profile | * | $60,700 | $46,950 | $82,200 | 470 | 0.55 | 0.52 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | * | $60,700 | $47,730 | $77,880 | 1,650 | 1.15 | 1.09 |
| 44 | Oklahoma profile | * | $59,660 | $44,730 | $75,480 | 2,020 | 1.18 | 1.12 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | * | $59,100 | $48,620 | $64,460 | 3,160 | 1.64 | 1.55 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | * | $57,000 | $47,820 | $66,500 | 1,280 | 0.98 | 0.93 |
| 47 | North Carolina profile | * | $56,770 | $45,200 | $70,600 | 3,400 | 0.69 | 0.65 |
| 48 | Missouri profile | * | $55,920 | $43,010 | $76,930 | 2,760 | 0.94 | 0.89 |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | * | $55,390 | $47,650 | $69,270 | 840 | 1.20 | 1.14 |
| 50 | South Dakota profile | * | $54,810 | $45,610 | $63,020 | 500 | 1.09 | 1.03 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | * | $51,970 | $46,720 | $62,600 | 1,670 | 1.43 | 1.36 |
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 25-2058 Special Education Teachers, Secondary 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 25-2058, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-2058.00, 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.