Pay by state · 52 states
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School Salary by State (2026)
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School earn the most in Washington at $101,120 a year and the least in Mississippi at $51,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $74,260. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $101,120Washington
- National median
- $74,260BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $51,970Mississippi
- States reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of special education teachers, secondary school OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $101,120 | $80,620 | $112,750 | 2,510 | $94,493 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $101,060 | $79,740 | $123,840 | 12,100 | $91,275 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $99,670 | $82,460 | $127,940 | 440 | $90,691 |
| 4 | MDMaryland | $93,530 | $72,120 | $104,030 | 1,560 | $89,111 |
| 5 | RIRhode Island | $92,990 | $68,930 | $96,930 | 830 | $90,917 |
| 6 | NYNew York | $89,310 | $75,470 | $130,550 | 15,250 | $82,755 |
| 7 | MAMassachusetts | $83,890 | $72,670 | $101,520 | 5,470 | $79,323 |
| 8 | NJNew Jersey | $83,770 | $76,190 | $101,700 | 7,520 | $76,991 |
| 9 | CTConnecticut | $81,710 | $64,670 | $101,760 | 1,920 | $78,863 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $80,580 | $68,850 | $95,680 | 590 | $78,723 |
| 11 | ILIllinois | $79,890 | $62,780 | $104,990 | 9,490 | $79,924 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $79,360 | $62,190 | $83,650 | 660 | $81,014 |
| 13 | DEDelaware | $78,490 | $61,440 | $81,960 | 1,160 | $78,641 |
| 14 | MIMichigan | $78,050 | $61,830 | $94,720 | 2,570 | $81,119 |
| 15 | OROregon | $77,400 | $59,910 | $91,380 | 1,240 | $74,883 |
| 16 | PAPennsylvania | $77,000 | $61,210 | $90,160 | 11,040 | $78,916 |
| 17 | NMNew Mexico | $76,940 | $64,100 | $81,480 | 2,150 | $83,438 |
| 18 | MNMinnesota | $76,600 | $59,790 | $84,220 | 4,130 | $77,671 |
| 19 | OHOhio | $76,180 | $58,910 | $85,170 | 10,580 | $82,114 |
| 20 | GAGeorgia | $74,150 | $62,010 | $79,500 | 4,090 | $77,005 |
| 21 | NHNew Hampshire | $69,560 | $58,480 | $82,440 | 910 | $66,779 |
| 22 | VAVirginia | $68,400 | $59,900 | $85,000 | 6,380 | $67,653 |
| 23 | COColorado | $67,240 | $62,470 | $82,170 | 2,970 | $65,249 |
| 24 | HIHawaii | $65,980 | $59,070 | $75,590 | 800 | $60,009 |
| 25 | TXTexas | $64,830 | $61,340 | $73,180 | 10,200 | $66,796 |
| 26 | AZArizona | $64,300 | $54,630 | $79,130 | 1,960 | $63,868 |
| 27 | UTUtah | $64,210 | $50,640 | $79,290 | 1,220 | $64,948 |
| 28 | WIWisconsin | $63,520 | $58,450 | $77,100 | 3,350 | $67,506 |
| 29 | NENebraska | $63,460 | $60,470 | $75,820 | 1,240 | $70,431 |
| 30 | WYWyoming | $62,750 | $59,810 | $74,870 | 350 | $67,698 |
| 31 | MTMontana | $62,310 | $49,880 | $75,330 | 480 | $65,835 |
| 32 | ALAlabama | $62,210 | $58,460 | $71,070 | 740 | $70,038 |
| 33 | SCSouth Carolina | $62,150 | $58,430 | $75,560 | 1,780 | $66,294 |
| 34 | MEMaine | $61,710 | $49,660 | $79,690 | 860 | $63,586 |
| 35 | FLFlorida | $61,510 | $57,040 | $74,960 | 7,940 | $59,479 |
| 36 | TNTennessee | $61,360 | $52,540 | $65,770 | 2,010 | $66,790 |
| 37 | NDNorth Dakota | $61,210 | $51,950 | $72,360 | 520 | $68,807 |
| 38 | INIndiana | $61,130 | $50,630 | $75,930 | 2,580 | $65,499 |
| 39 | NVNevada | $60,810 | $54,380 | $78,990 | 350 | $60,823 |
| 40 | IAIowa | $60,780 | $51,430 | $75,600 | 1,570 | $69,255 |
| 41 | KYKentucky | $60,730 | $49,070 | $66,260 | 2,680 | $67,359 |
| 42 | IDIdaho | $60,700 | $49,850 | $71,960 | 470 | $63,564 |
| 43 | KSKansas | $60,700 | $50,770 | $64,100 | 1,650 | $67,394 |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $59,660 | $49,180 | $61,910 | 2,020 | $67,917 |
| 45 | LALouisiana | $59,100 | $50,870 | $60,650 | 3,160 | $67,001 |
| 46 | PRPuerto Rico | $58,080 | $51,180 | $59,120 | 1,840 | N/A |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $57,000 | $51,110 | $60,910 | 1,280 | $65,565 |
| 48 | NCNorth Carolina | $56,770 | $47,450 | $61,100 | 3,400 | $60,185 |
| 49 | MOMissouri | $55,920 | $46,920 | $62,450 | 2,760 | $61,574 |
| 50 | WVWest Virginia | $55,390 | $50,720 | $61,400 | 840 | $61,890 |
| 51 | SDSouth Dakota | $54,810 | $48,800 | $58,360 | 500 | $61,872 |
| 52 | MSMississippi | $51,970 | $47,930 | $60,070 | 1,670 | $59,768 |
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, Secondary School, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $101,120, while Washington leads once prices are taken into account at $94,493.
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, Secondary School pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Secondary School the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School at $101,120 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($101,060) and District of Columbia ($99,670).
Which state pays Special Education Teachers, Secondary School the least?
Mississippi reports the lowest median for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School at $51,970 a year, $49,150 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Special Education Teachers, Secondary School earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Washington first at $94,493 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $101,120. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.