Pay by state · 43 states
Adapted Physical Education Specialist Salary by State (2026)
Adapted Physical Education Specialists earn the most in California at $103,050 a year and the least in West Virginia at $39,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $76,580. All 43 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $103,050California
- National median
- $76,580BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $39,920West Virginia
- States reporting
- 43of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Adapted Physical Education Specialist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of adapted physical education specialists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $103,050 | $82,090 | $120,860 | 8,920 | $93,073 |
| 2 | NMNew Mexico | $86,520 | $86,520 | $107,250 | 100 | $93,827 |
| 3 | DEDelaware | $85,040 | $75,040 | $96,090 | 50 | $85,204 |
| 4 | OROregon | $82,240 | $71,280 | $95,890 | 820 | $79,566 |
| 5 | RIRhode Island | $80,080 | $62,800 | $83,300 | 110 | $78,295 |
| 6 | COColorado | $79,290 | $53,760 | $92,510 | 180 | $76,942 |
| 7 | MIMichigan | $78,540 | $62,060 | $85,470 | 3,320 | $81,628 |
| 8 | MAMassachusetts | $78,440 | $65,610 | $96,370 | 300 | $74,170 |
| 9 | VAVirginia | $77,280 | $60,830 | $105,130 | 540 | $76,436 |
| 10 | WAWashington | $76,790 | $63,820 | $90,270 | 170 | $71,758 |
| 11 | PAPennsylvania | $76,530 | $57,910 | $97,760 | 450 | $78,434 |
| 12 | GAGeorgia | $76,130 | $61,740 | $92,300 | 980 | $79,061 |
| 13 | MDMaryland | $76,100 | $64,410 | $100,370 | 3,020 | $72,505 |
| 14 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $71,130 | $63,600 | $78,740 | 130 | $64,722 |
| 15 | NJNew Jersey | $71,110 | $62,910 | $79,770 | 610 | $65,355 |
| 16 | IAIowa | $71,050 | $56,100 | $80,800 | 340 | $80,958 |
| 17 | MNMinnesota | $69,470 | $62,350 | $80,900 | 180 | $70,441 |
| 18 | FLFlorida | $68,690 | $53,100 | $79,060 | 900 | $66,422 |
| 19 | UTUtah | $67,860 | $60,400 | $85,650 | 100 | $68,640 |
| 20 | WIWisconsin | $66,910 | $50,420 | $79,320 | 160 | $71,109 |
| 21 | NHNew Hampshire | $66,670 | $55,570 | $74,190 | 160 | $64,004 |
| 22 | NYNew York | $65,970 | $58,690 | $81,570 | 2,170 | $61,128 |
| 23 | TXTexas | $65,710 | $50,590 | $71,500 | 880 | $67,702 |
| 24 | NCNorth Carolina | $65,170 | $60,040 | $74,890 | N/A | $69,090 |
| 25 | ILIllinois | $64,850 | $51,420 | $79,110 | 2,560 | $64,877 |
| 26 | NVNevada | $64,410 | $54,800 | $78,710 | 1,230 | $64,424 |
| 27 | TNTennessee | $63,300 | $61,030 | $76,670 | 180 | $68,902 |
| 28 | KYKentucky | $63,140 | $51,740 | $75,080 | 290 | $70,032 |
| 29 | ARArkansas | $61,690 | $51,860 | $72,630 | 70 | $70,959 |
| 30 | NDNorth Dakota | $61,500 | $58,080 | $67,980 | 90 | $69,133 |
| 31 | CTConnecticut | $61,480 | $45,920 | $79,580 | 1,400 | $59,338 |
| 32 | LALouisiana | $61,170 | $52,790 | $63,670 | 610 | $69,348 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $60,920 | $55,350 | $64,260 | 80 | $65,274 |
| 34 | NENebraska | $59,760 | $46,130 | $78,850 | 60 | $66,324 |
| 35 | AZArizona | $59,500 | $55,290 | $81,940 | N/A | $59,100 |
| 36 | MEMaine | $56,780 | $52,490 | $81,330 | N/A | $58,506 |
| 37 | PRPuerto Rico | $51,920 | $50,880 | $58,200 | 630 | N/A |
| 38 | OHOhio | $51,230 | $39,210 | $74,700 | 580 | $55,220 |
| 39 | MOMissouri | $49,610 | $46,220 | $66,700 | 210 | $54,626 |
| 40 | ALAlabama | $49,520 | $37,590 | $77,170 | 110 | $55,751 |
| 41 | VTVermont | $46,980 | $45,140 | $57,180 | 70 | $47,959 |
| 42 | MSMississippi | $46,700 | $28,690 | $64,230 | 60 | $53,707 |
| 43 | WVWest Virginia | $39,920 | $32,830 | $49,400 | 530 | $44,605 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Adapted Physical Education Specialists, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $103,050, while New Mexico leads once prices are taken into account at $93,827.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Adapted Physical Education Specialist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Adapted Physical Education Specialists the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Adapted Physical Education Specialists at $103,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Mexico ($86,520) and Delaware ($85,040).
Which state pays Adapted Physical Education Specialists the least?
West Virginia reports the lowest median for Adapted Physical Education Specialists at $39,920 a year, $63,130 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Adapted Physical Education Specialists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts New Mexico first at $93,827 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $86,520. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.