occupation · 25-2052 · detailed
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School — wages and employment
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School earned a median annual wage of $63,000 in the United States in May 2024, with 231,570 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School earned a median annual wage of $63,000 in the United States in May 2024, with 231,570 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $47,590 or less, the best-paid tenth $100,620 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $64,910 to $63,000, -2.9 %. The best-paying state is California at $90,530; the lowest Mississippi at $48,860. Among metropolitan areas, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA pays the highest median, $112,850. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 231,570 | $63,000 | $70,150 | $47,590 | $57,050 | $79,320 | $100,620 | — | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 212,850 | $64,910 | $71,770 | $47,710 | $54,360 | $81,990 | $103,430 | — | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $90,530 | 17,920 |
| Washington | $85,340 | 3,290 |
| District of Columbia | $82,400 | 1,140 |
| Connecticut | $81,220 | 2,570 |
| New York | $80,750 | 20,500 |
| Massachusetts | $78,820 | 6,650 |
| Oregon | $78,320 | 1,730 |
| Rhode Island | $77,930 | 1,210 |
| Alaska | $77,220 | 370 |
| Illinois | $76,170 | 12,550 |
| New Jersey | $75,660 | 10,700 |
| Maryland | $75,550 | 3,640 |
| Michigan | $75,520 | 3,600 |
| Georgia | $67,710 | 9,700 |
| New Mexico | $66,490 | 1,000 |
| Virginia | $65,000 | 7,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,520 | 6,850 |
| Ohio | $64,060 | 10,050 |
| Wyoming | $63,520 | 610 |
| Colorado | $63,500 | 4,050 |
| Nevada | $63,340 | 490 |
| Minnesota | $63,320 | 3,850 |
| Vermont | $63,220 | 910 |
| New Hampshire | $62,420 | 980 |
| Idaho | $62,210 | 720 |
| Nebraska | $61,140 | 1,460 |
| Alabama | $61,100 | 660 |
| Tennessee | $61,080 | 4,100 |
| South Carolina | $60,530 | 2,580 |
| Texas | $60,270 | 41,010 |
| Montana | $60,200 | 560 |
| Wisconsin | $59,860 | 3,340 |
| Maine | $59,860 | 890 |
| Kansas | $59,060 | 1,590 |
| Delaware | $58,990 | 880 |
| Utah | $58,920 | 2,080 |
| Indiana | $57,910 | 3,710 |
| North Dakota | $57,820 | 720 |
| Kentucky | $57,090 | 3,660 |
| North Carolina | $56,330 | 4,640 |
| Puerto Rico | $56,040 | 1,950 |
| Hawaii | $55,760 | 500 |
| Iowa | $55,350 | 1,820 |
| Louisiana | $54,410 | 3,510 |
| Florida | $52,700 | 8,450 |
| Missouri | $52,140 | 2,240 |
| Arkansas | $51,590 | 1,310 |
| South Dakota | $50,380 | 800 |
| Arizona | $49,760 | 2,220 |
| West Virginia | $49,760 | 2,280 |
| Oklahoma | $49,030 | 2,180 |
| Mississippi | $48,860 | 2,310 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $112,850 | 480 |
| Visalia, CA | $102,630 | 120 |
| El Centro, CA | $100,980 | 160 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $99,170 | 210 |
| Fresno, CA | $98,550 | 440 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98,050 | 560 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $97,970 | 1,640 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $97,300 | 1,470 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $96,940 | 240 |
| Vallejo, CA | $96,190 | 170 |
| Merced, CA | $95,060 | 100 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $93,800 | 600 |
| Yuba City, CA | $92,620 | 100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $92,450 | 6,420 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $92,070 | 100 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $91,730 | 980 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $89,230 | 2,300 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $88,110 | 110 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $85,810 | 60 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $85,640 | 230 |
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