Special education teachers, secondary school salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,800 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $74,260 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $77,260 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $109,100 | 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, secondary 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 | $62,210 | $50,020 | $75,030 | 740 | 0.33 |
| Alaska | $80,580 | $62,230 | $97,800 | 590 | 1.71 |
| Arizona | $64,300 | $49,240 | $110,560 | 1,960 | 0.57 |
| Arkansas | $57,000 | $47,820 | $66,500 | 1,280 | 0.93 |
| California | $101,060 | $63,390 | $131,600 | 12,100 | 0.63 |
| Colorado | $67,240 | $51,760 | $100,430 | 2,970 | 0.98 |
| Connecticut | $81,710 | $60,150 | $111,880 | 1,920 | 1.07 |
| Delaware | $78,490 | $57,020 | $94,830 | 1,160 | 2.27 |
| District of Columbia | $99,670 | $80,640 | $127,940 | 440 | 0.6 |
| Florida | $61,510 | $51,360 | $79,170 | 7,940 | 0.76 |
| Georgia | $74,150 | $56,910 | $97,720 | 4,090 | 0.79 |
| Hawaii | $65,980 | $58,250 | $93,170 | 800 | 1.22 |
| Idaho | $60,700 | $46,950 | $82,200 | 470 | 0.52 |
| Illinois | $79,890 | $49,920 | $129,260 | 9,490 | 1.48 |
| Indiana | $61,130 | $46,940 | $85,710 | 2,580 | 0.76 |
| Iowa | $60,780 | $46,840 | $81,570 | 1,570 | 0.96 |
| Kansas | $60,700 | $47,730 | $77,880 | 1,650 | 1.09 |
| Kentucky | $60,730 | $46,610 | $79,870 | 2,680 | 1.27 |
| Louisiana | $59,100 | $48,620 | $64,460 | 3,160 | 1.55 |
| Maine | $61,710 | $48,200 | $82,350 | 860 | 1.27 |
| Maryland | $93,530 | $62,160 | $119,110 | 1,560 | 0.53 |
| Massachusetts | $83,890 | $60,390 | $124,080 | 5,470 | 1.43 |
| Michigan | $78,050 | $49,710 | $103,210 | 2,570 | 0.55 |
| Minnesota | $76,600 | $49,410 | $102,390 | 4,130 | 1.33 |
| Mississippi | $51,970 | $46,720 | $62,600 | 1,670 | 1.36 |
| Missouri | $55,920 | $43,010 | $76,930 | 2,760 | 0.89 |
| Montana | $62,310 | $38,750 | $82,460 | 480 | 0.88 |
| Nebraska | $63,460 | $47,970 | $77,970 | 1,240 | 1.15 |
| Nevada | $60,810 | $39,720 | $84,100 | 350 | 0.21 |
| New Hampshire | $69,560 | $47,950 | $98,700 | 910 | 1.26 |
| New Jersey | $83,770 | $65,250 | $110,050 | 7,520 | 1.66 |
| New Mexico | $76,940 | $60,190 | $90,580 | 2,150 | 2.35 |
| New York | $89,310 | $60,740 | $134,460 | 15,250 | 1.49 |
| North Carolina | $56,770 | $45,200 | $70,600 | 3,400 | 0.65 |
| North Dakota | $61,210 | $47,280 | $80,320 | 520 | 1.16 |
| Ohio | $76,180 | $47,800 | $100,400 | 10,580 | 1.81 |
| Oklahoma | $59,660 | $44,730 | $75,480 | 2,020 | 1.12 |
| Oregon | $77,400 | $49,810 | $98,920 | 1,240 | 0.6 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,000 | $51,110 | $101,880 | 11,040 | 1.73 |
| Puerto Rico | $58,080 | $50,670 | $61,530 | 1,840 | 1.86 |
| Rhode Island | $92,990 | $46,580 | $99,900 | 830 | 1.58 |
| South Carolina | $62,150 | $49,330 | $83,020 | 1,780 | 0.73 |
| South Dakota | $54,810 | $45,610 | $63,020 | 500 | 1.03 |
| Tennessee | $61,360 | $50,190 | $77,640 | 2,010 | 0.58 |
| Texas | $64,830 | $52,270 | $77,700 | 10,200 | 0.69 |
| Utah | $64,210 | $34,130 | $97,380 | 1,220 | 0.67 |
| Vermont | $79,360 | $52,800 | $98,170 | 660 | 2.06 |
| Virginia | $68,400 | $50,510 | $109,100 | 6,380 | 1.47 |
| Washington | $101,120 | $67,880 | $128,090 | 2,510 | 0.67 |
| West Virginia | $55,390 | $47,650 | $69,270 | 840 | 1.14 |
| Wisconsin | $63,520 | $48,870 | $83,170 | 3,350 | 1.08 |
| Wyoming | $62,750 | $52,440 | $77,900 | 350 | 1.18 |
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, secondary school
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 10,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.4%.
- 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, secondary 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 Secondary Special Education Programs CIP 13.1019
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
- Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Email software
- Hand held spell checkers
- Screen magnification software
- Screen reader software
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Time Management.
Common job titles: Education Specialist, Emotional Disability Special Education Teacher (ED SPED Teacher), Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher), Handicapped Teacher, HS SPED Teacher (High School Special Education Teacher), Learning Disabilities Special Education Teacher (LD Special Education Teacher), Learning Support Teacher, Special Day Class Teacher (SDC 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, secondary school make?
The national median annual wage for special education teachers, secondary school was $74,260 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $49,800 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $109,100. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do special education teachers, secondary 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, secondary school a growing career?
BLS projects employment of special education teachers, secondary school to change -0.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 10,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay special education teachers, secondary school the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($101,120), California ($101,060), District of Columbia ($99,670). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.