Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salary

The median wage for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in the U.S. was $65,120 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $59,710 and $80,280 a year.

District of Columbia has the highest median wage for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school: $97,910 a year. The lowest published median is in West Virginia at $50,380. Living costs also differ a lot between states.

BLS estimates 260,870 special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school were employed in the U.S. in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

The median is the middle wage: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The average (mean) adds everyone up and divides, so a few very high earners pull it up. The median is usually the better guide to typical pay.

The 10th percentile is the wage that only 10% of workers earn less than – often entry-level pay. The 90th percentile is the wage that only 10% earn more than – usually the most experienced or highest-paid workers.

BLS publishes only annual wages for occupations that are paid by the year but usually work fewer than 2,080 hours, such as teachers and pilots, because an hourly figure would be misleading.