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In the education job market, special education teachers are always in high demand. In 2019, 44 states reported special education teacher shortages, and by 2022, that jumped to 48 (source: NPR). Federal law (IDEA) states that students with disabilities must be taught by fully licensed teachers. This means that states may try to get creative with staffing special education classrooms. In the past, states have tried to attract and retain special education teachers with alternative licensure programs and other pathways to licensure. But recently, they’ve been turning to cold hard cash in the form of special education teacher signing bonuses and salary increases.
Show Me the Money: States Giving Cash for Special Ed
In 2020, Hawaii started paying special education teachers $10,000 more per year. (Source: NPR).
Even places that don’t report as much challenge filling special education classrooms are putting their money where their mouth is. Metro Atlanta, Georgia, is offering $5,000 sign-on incentives to special education teachers (Source: The74million.org).
It’s not clear if salary bumps work—Oklahoma provides a 5% salary bump for special education teachers, but that hasn’t necessarily decreased shortages. According to Education Week, some districts have increased special education teacher salary incentives to as high as 10% or offered signing bonuses of $2,000 to $3,000.
I don’t know about you, but my paycheck matters.
Aside from the cash bonuses, in 2023, special education teachers are paid an average of $54,290 across all states, according to an April 2023 Zippia study. This is an average of $26.10 per hour based on working 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year (but who’s calculating).
Top 15 States for Special Education Teacher Salary
1. Maryland
Median salary: $76,282
Hourly rate: $36.72
Salary range: $53,000–$108,000
2. Alaska
Median salary: $77,146
Hourly rate: $37.09
Salary range: $64,000–$91,000
3. Washington
Median salary: $63,434
Hourly rate: $30.50
Salary range: $45,000–$87,000
4. New York
Median salary: $64,250
Hourly rate: $30.89
Salary range: $45,000–$90,000
5. California
Median salary: $63,874
Hourly rate: $30.71
Salary range: $45,000–$89,000
6. Connecticut
Median salary: $60,164
Hourly rate: $28.93
Salary range: $42,000–$84,000
7. Oregon
Median salary: $59,266
Hourly rate: $28.49
Salary range: $42,000–$81,000
8. New Jersey
Median salary: $60,228
Hourly rate: $28.96
Salary range: $42,000–$85,900
9. Massachusetts
Median salary: $58,591
Hourly rate: $28.17
Salary range: $42,000–$80,000
10. Virginia
Median salary: $56,559
Hourly rate: $27.19
Salary range: $40,000–$79,000
11. Rhode Island
Median salary: $55,984
Hourly rate: $25.92
Salary range: $40,000–$78,000
12. Delaware
Median salary: $55,147
Hourly rate: $26.51
Salary range: $38,000–$78,000
13. Wyoming
Median salary: $55,244
Hourly rate: $26.56
Salary range: $41,000–$74,000
14. Pennsylvania
Median salary: $54,620
Hourly rate: $25.78
Salary range: $37,000–$75,000
15. Illinois
Median salary: $51,414
Hourly rate: $24.72
Salary range: $37,000–$70,000
Don’t see your state on the list? Find it in the Zippia report.
How To Maximize Your Special Education Teacher Salary
Once in special education, you can direct your expertise to maximize pay for the job.
Work in a specialized teaching location.
Teaching as a homebound teacher and in other specialized teaching locations may boost your pay. Homebound teachers provide services for students who are required to learn from home.
Earn credits for speech-language pathology.
If you’d like to earn more money and are up for some additional education, earn credentials to become a speech-language pathologist.
Work for a staffing company instead of a school district.
Education staffing companies like Kaleidoscope Education Solutions or the Birch Agency provide special education teachers through contracted services, which may pay higher than going directly through a district.
Would you sign up to teach special education for a boost in pay? Share on our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
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