Special Education Teacher salary
Updated Updated for 2026 tax law
A special education teacher earns a median of $66,810 a year in the US, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The average is $73,780. About 95,200 people work in this job.
Take-home pay on $66,810
- Gross pay
- $2,569.62
- Federal income tax
- −$225.70
- Social Security (6.2%)
- −$159.32
- Medicare (1.45%)
- −$37.26
- Texas income tax
- $0.00No state income tax on wages
- Take-home pay
- $2,147.34
Annual breakdown
- Gross
- $66,810
- Federal
- $5,868
- FICA
- $5,111
- State + local
- $0
- Net
- $55,831
- Marginal federal rate
- 22.0%
- Marginal state rate
- 0.0%
2026 federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) and 2026 state rules. Estimates assume wages are your only income and use annual liability, so your actual withholding can differ slightly.
Special Education Teacher salary by state
| State | Median salary | Average | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $101,530 | $99,830 | 4,860 |
| Washington | $99,520 | $97,240 | 1,550 |
| Rhode Island | $93,970 | $83,910 | 380 |
| New York | $93,820 | $92,940 | 7,870 |
| Connecticut | $92,900 | $87,110 | 1,260 |
| Massachusetts | $84,550 | $87,040 | 3,110 |
| Alaska | $81,000 | $81,120 | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $79,170 | $87,810 | 520 |
| New Jersey | $79,110 | $82,680 | 5,660 |
| Utah | $78,920 | $78,740 | 690 |
| Oregon | $78,360 | $75,670 | 590 |
| Delaware | $77,420 | $73,780 | — |
| Pennsylvania | $77,040 | $77,460 | 3,710 |
| Maryland | $76,410 | $82,830 | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $76,040 | $71,920 | 1,410 |
| Illinois | $74,730 | $75,300 | 4,460 |
| Ohio | $74,590 | $73,110 | 7,540 |
| New Mexico | $74,440 | $72,820 | 1,090 |
| Vermont | $73,110 | $72,150 | 470 |
| Georgia | $70,550 | $71,040 | 3,740 |
| New Hampshire | $66,760 | $67,090 | 650 |
| Colorado | $66,130 | $71,610 | 2,020 |
| Wisconsin | $65,840 | $69,270 | 2,650 |
| Montana | $63,960 | $63,270 | 190 |
| Virginia | $63,820 | $71,440 | 3,000 |
| Minnesota | $63,630 | $70,140 | 1,930 |
| Iowa | $63,590 | $65,940 | 990 |
| Nebraska | $63,460 | $65,740 | 680 |
| Maine | $63,440 | $66,100 | 310 |
| Texas | $63,360 | $64,850 | 12,580 |
| Nevada | $63,280 | $60,690 | 290 |
| Alabama | $62,850 | $60,220 | 460 |
| Wyoming | $62,770 | $64,940 | 330 |
| South Carolina | $62,310 | $64,550 | 980 |
| Arizona | $62,130 | $62,350 | 580 |
| Hawaii | $61,750 | $68,420 | 380 |
| Florida | $60,440 | $60,410 | 2,630 |
| Kentucky | $60,200 | $58,160 | 1,530 |
| Idaho | $60,170 | $61,630 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $60,000 | $60,950 | 1,310 |
| Kansas | $59,780 | $60,480 | 550 |
| Louisiana | $59,420 | $57,420 | 1,130 |
| North Carolina | $59,360 | $57,680 | 2,470 |
| Indiana | $58,900 | $60,670 | 1,070 |
| North Dakota | $57,680 | $60,110 | 200 |
| Arkansas | $56,830 | $56,690 | 750 |
| West Virginia | $56,440 | $55,110 | 1,080 |
| South Dakota | $51,360 | $52,820 | 310 |
| Mississippi | $50,750 | $53,070 | 1,020 |
| Oklahoma | $50,450 | $56,310 | 930 |
| Missouri | $50,370 | $54,340 | 1,050 |
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- Teacher and Instructor: $66,140
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- Special Education Teacher: $65,120
- Career/Technical Education Teacher: $65,030
- Special Education Teacher: $64,830
- Archivist: $64,550
- Middle School Teacher: $64,370
BLS occupation: Special Education Teachers, Middle School. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 25-2057). Excludes the self-employed. BLS publishes annual pay only for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a special education teacher make an hour?
BLS reports annual pay only for this job: a median of $66,810 a year.
Which state pays special education teachers the most?
California ($101,530 median), followed by Washington and Rhode Island.
What is the salary range for a special education teacher?
The bottom 10% earn under $49,420 and the top 10% earn over $102,510 a year.
How much is $66,810 after taxes?
About $55,831 a year in Texas (no state income tax) or $52,843 in California for a single filer in 2026.
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Estimates for information only — not tax, legal or financial advice.