Special education teachers, middle school salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,420 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $66,810 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $73,780 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $102,510 | Data unavailable |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because workers are typically paid on an annual basis rather than hourly.
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Special education teachers, middle school pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $62,850 | $34,360 | $76,730 | 460 | 0.36 |
| Alaska | $81,000 | $61,620 | $98,380 | 200 | 0.99 |
| Arizona | $62,130 | $47,010 | $77,520 | 580 | 0.29 |
| Arkansas | $56,830 | $48,840 | $66,560 | 750 | 0.94 |
| California | $101,530 | $68,110 | $127,720 | 4,860 | 0.44 |
| Colorado | $66,130 | $50,750 | $98,620 | 2,020 | 1.15 |
| Connecticut | $92,900 | $61,370 | $107,660 | 1,260 | 1.21 |
| Delaware | $77,420 | $52,240 | $95,410 | ||
| District of Columbia | $79,170 | $66,840 | $127,280 | 520 | 1.21 |
| Florida | $60,440 | $50,160 | $73,210 | 2,630 | 0.43 |
| Georgia | $70,550 | $48,170 | $95,970 | 3,740 | 1.25 |
| Hawaii | $61,750 | $59,120 | $80,570 | 380 | 1 |
| Idaho | $60,170 | $50,190 | $76,200 | 300 | 0.58 |
| Illinois | $74,730 | $49,660 | $102,200 | 4,460 | 1.19 |
| Indiana | $58,900 | $46,500 | $78,160 | 1,070 | 0.54 |
| Iowa | $63,590 | $46,490 | $90,460 | 990 | 1.04 |
| Kansas | $59,780 | $48,620 | $75,480 | 550 | 0.62 |
| Kentucky | $60,200 | $44,070 | $75,970 | 1,530 | 1.25 |
| Louisiana | $59,420 | $48,210 | $64,080 | 1,130 | 0.95 |
| Maine | $63,440 | $47,560 | $81,550 | 310 | 0.8 |
| Maryland | $76,410 | $51,100 | $122,710 | 1,540 | 0.91 |
| Massachusetts | $84,550 | $60,080 | $108,440 | 3,110 | 1.4 |
| Michigan | $76,040 | $46,790 | $93,350 | 1,410 | 0.52 |
| Minnesota | $63,630 | $49,100 | $93,820 | 1,930 | 1.07 |
| Mississippi | $50,750 | $45,830 | $62,120 | 1,020 | 1.44 |
| Missouri | $50,370 | $39,990 | $81,110 | 1,050 | 0.58 |
| Montana | $63,960 | $42,050 | $80,690 | 190 | 0.6 |
| Nebraska | $63,460 | $46,640 | $78,990 | 680 | 1.08 |
| Nevada | $63,280 | $36,210 | $80,240 | 290 | 0.31 |
| New Hampshire | $66,760 | $48,290 | $81,260 | 650 | 1.55 |
| New Jersey | $79,110 | $63,570 | $103,520 | 5,660 | 2.16 |
| New Mexico | $74,440 | $60,070 | $89,760 | 1,090 | 2.04 |
| New York | $93,820 | $59,720 | $132,490 | 7,870 | 1.33 |
| North Carolina | $59,360 | $44,580 | $73,670 | 2,470 | 0.82 |
| North Dakota | $57,680 | $47,350 | $82,930 | 200 | 0.74 |
| Ohio | $74,590 | $47,630 | $98,120 | 7,540 | 2.22 |
| Oklahoma | $50,450 | $45,400 | $73,160 | 930 | 0.89 |
| Oregon | $78,360 | $51,470 | $98,090 | 590 | 0.49 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,040 | $52,300 | $106,140 | 3,710 | 1 |
| Puerto Rico | $58,270 | $50,490 | $65,170 | 950 | 1.65 |
| Rhode Island | $93,970 | $48,830 | $97,450 | 380 | 1.24 |
| South Carolina | $62,310 | $48,900 | $81,280 | 980 | 0.7 |
| South Dakota | $51,360 | $46,680 | $60,120 | 310 | 1.1 |
| Tennessee | $60,000 | $48,640 | $75,490 | 1,310 | 0.65 |
| Texas | $63,360 | $50,530 | $77,720 | 12,580 | 1.46 |
| Utah | $78,920 | $48,410 | $113,830 | 690 | 0.65 |
| Vermont | $73,110 | $49,040 | $99,320 | 470 | 2.54 |
| Virginia | $63,820 | $51,360 | $100,010 | 3,000 | 1.19 |
| Washington | $99,520 | $67,650 | $127,390 | 1,550 | 0.71 |
| West Virginia | $56,440 | $45,380 | $63,710 | 1,080 | 2.51 |
| Wisconsin | $65,840 | $47,480 | $94,660 | 2,650 | 1.47 |
| Wyoming | $62,770 | $52,190 | $79,060 | 330 | 1.9 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for special education teachers, middle school
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 6,000. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.2%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for special education teachers, middle school
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Special Education and Teaching, General CIP 13.1001
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness CIP 13.1003
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances CIP 13.1005
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities CIP 13.1006
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities CIP 13.1007
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments CIP 13.1008
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness CIP 13.1009
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities CIP 13.1011
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments CIP 13.1012
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism CIP 13.1013
- Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed CIP 13.1014
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries CIP 13.1016
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs CIP 13.1018
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
- Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
Technology skills
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Blackboard software
- Common Curriculum
- EasyCBM
- Email software
- Flipgrid
- Google Classroom
- Hand held spell checkers
- Padlet
- Pear Deck
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.
Common job titles: ED SPED Teacher (Emotional Disabilities Special Education Teacher), Interrelated SPED Teacher (Interrelated Special Education Teacher), Learning Disabilities Teacher (LD Teacher), Learning Support Teacher, Middle School Resource Teacher, MS SPED Teacher (Middle School Special Education Teacher), Self-Contained SPED Teacher (Self-Contained Special Education Teacher), SLD Teacher (Specific Learning Disability Teacher), SPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher), SPED Teacher (Special Education Teacher).
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do special education teachers, middle school make?
The national median annual wage for special education teachers, middle school was $66,810 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $49,420 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $102,510. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do special education teachers, middle school need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is special education teachers, middle school a growing career?
BLS projects employment of special education teachers, middle school to change -0.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 6,000 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay special education teachers, middle school the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($101,530), Washington ($99,520), Rhode Island ($93,970). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.