Pay by state · 45 states
Special Education Teacher, Preschool Salary by State (2026)
Special Education Teachers, Preschool earn the most in Massachusetts at $99,070 a year and the least in Arkansas at $35,580 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $64,830. All 45 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $99,070Massachusetts
- National median
- $64,830BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $35,580Arkansas
- States reporting
- 45of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Special Education Teacher, Preschool salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of special education teachers, preschool OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAMassachusetts | $99,070 | $78,540 | $109,510 | 710 | $93,677 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $92,060 | $69,390 | $134,710 | 1,720 | $84,610 |
| 3 | CTConnecticut | $87,960 | $63,180 | $97,720 | 380 | $84,895 |
| 4 | WAWashington | $86,580 | $76,760 | $104,970 | 820 | $80,906 |
| 5 | MDMaryland | $85,010 | $74,150 | $103,130 | 70 | $80,994 |
| 6 | PAPennsylvania | $83,510 | $60,070 | $106,370 | 490 | $85,588 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $80,390 | $65,760 | $96,030 | 110 | $78,537 |
| 8 | VTVermont | $79,000 | $67,640 | $82,330 | 70 | $80,647 |
| 9 | COColorado | $78,040 | $61,980 | $85,770 | 810 | $75,729 |
| 10 | VAVirginia | $77,570 | $61,690 | $99,430 | 650 | $76,723 |
| 11 | OROregon | $77,490 | $62,180 | $95,040 | 400 | $74,970 |
| 12 | MNMinnesota | $75,880 | $57,900 | $83,880 | 1,250 | $76,941 |
| 13 | MIMichigan | $75,860 | $62,810 | $90,840 | 430 | $78,843 |
| 14 | HIHawaii | $75,120 | $59,300 | $77,810 | 230 | $68,321 |
| 15 | GAGeorgia | $72,310 | $60,950 | $80,970 | 380 | $75,094 |
| 16 | NYNew York | $68,180 | $54,770 | $149,560 | 6,220 | $63,176 |
| 17 | NMNew Mexico | $66,010 | $60,460 | $80,250 | 270 | $71,585 |
| 18 | TXTexas | $65,680 | $58,600 | $82,420 | 2,010 | $67,672 |
| 19 | IAIowa | $63,540 | $48,740 | $72,980 | N/A | $72,400 |
| 20 | NENebraska | $62,760 | $49,280 | $72,180 | 80 | $69,654 |
| 21 | ILIllinois | $62,580 | $49,680 | $80,360 | 1,080 | $62,606 |
| 22 | MOMissouri | $62,250 | $48,580 | $111,640 | 940 | $68,544 |
| 23 | NHNew Hampshire | $61,720 | $49,430 | $80,000 | 80 | $59,252 |
| 24 | WIWisconsin | $60,870 | $51,330 | $73,640 | 240 | $64,690 |
| 25 | OHOhio | $60,700 | $49,270 | $81,950 | 1,150 | $65,428 |
| 26 | MEMaine | $60,680 | $48,510 | $63,040 | 40 | $62,524 |
| 27 | NCNorth Carolina | $60,180 | $48,370 | $68,840 | 640 | $63,800 |
| 28 | AZArizona | $60,130 | $49,190 | $65,280 | 330 | $59,726 |
| 29 | NDNorth Dakota | $60,060 | $56,690 | $64,070 | 50 | $67,514 |
| 30 | SCSouth Carolina | $59,800 | $45,270 | $63,950 | 170 | $63,787 |
| 31 | CACalifornia | $59,550 | $48,400 | $83,370 | 2,510 | $53,784 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $59,550 | $49,070 | $66,140 | 330 | $64,820 |
| 33 | RIRhode Island | $59,310 | $35,030 | $96,330 | 120 | $57,988 |
| 34 | DEDelaware | $59,250 | $56,330 | $59,400 | 100 | $59,364 |
| 35 | KSKansas | $59,220 | $50,680 | $63,260 | 350 | $65,750 |
| 36 | FLFlorida | $58,240 | $51,330 | $68,980 | 1,370 | $56,317 |
| 37 | UTUtah | $58,230 | $55,200 | $80,490 | 110 | $58,899 |
| 38 | LALouisiana | $56,890 | $49,770 | $59,720 | 960 | $64,496 |
| 39 | KYKentucky | $54,220 | $39,680 | $62,360 | N/A | $60,138 |
| 40 | MSMississippi | $52,420 | $49,420 | $60,590 | 110 | $60,285 |
| 41 | WYWyoming | $52,100 | $46,320 | $60,890 | 80 | $56,208 |
| 42 | OKOklahoma | $49,720 | $45,170 | $52,420 | 60 | $56,601 |
| 43 | IDIdaho | $49,610 | $44,410 | $67,080 | 180 | $51,951 |
| 44 | INIndiana | $48,680 | $37,640 | $65,320 | 380 | $52,160 |
| 45 | ARArkansas | $35,580 | $28,650 | $47,200 | 510 | $40,926 |
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 Special Education Teachers, Preschool, that changes the ranking: Massachusetts leads on raw pay at $99,070, while Massachusetts leads once prices are taken into account at $93,677.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Special Education Teacher, Preschool pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Preschool the most?
Massachusetts reports the highest median wage for Special Education Teachers, Preschool at $99,070 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($92,060) and Connecticut ($87,960).
Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Preschool the least?
Arkansas reports the lowest median for Special Education Teachers, Preschool at $35,580 a year, $63,490 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Special Education Teachers, Preschool earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Massachusetts first at $93,677 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $99,070. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.