Special Education Teachers, Middle School Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for special education teachers, middle school in the U.S. is $66,810, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $66,810
- Mean annual wage
- $73,780
- Median hourly wage
- —
- Employment
- 95,200
95,200 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,420 | — |
| 25th percentile | $60,000 | — |
| Median (50th) | $66,810 | — |
| 75th percentile | $82,800 | — |
| 90th percentile | $102,510 | — |
Highest-paying states for special education teachers, middle school
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $101,530 | 4,860 |
| Washington | $99,520 | 1,550 |
| Rhode Island | $93,970 | 380 |
| New York | $93,820 | 7,870 |
| Connecticut | $92,900 | 1,260 |
| Massachusetts | $84,550 | 3,110 |
| Alaska | $81,000 | 200 |
| District of Columbia | $79,170 | 520 |
| New Jersey | $79,110 | 5,660 |
| Utah | $78,920 | 690 |
Lowest-paying states
- Missouri: $50,370 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $50,450 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $50,750 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $51,360 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $56,440 median annual wage
About this occupation
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
Typical tasks
- Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments.
- Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies.
- Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 3.7% |
| Associate's degree | 2.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 33.6% |
| Master's degree | 51.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 4.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,780
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$65,120
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.