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Top-Paying States for Special Education Teachers

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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

Baltimore Maryland MD Inner Harbor Skyline Aerial.- special education teacher salary

Median salary: $76,282

Hourly rate: $36.72

Salary range: $53,000–$108,000

2. Alaska

The city of Sitka, Alaska at dawn.

Median salary: $77,146

Hourly rate: $37.09

Salary range: $64,000–$91,000

3. Washington

Washington DC aerial view with Thomas Jefferson Memorial building

Median salary: $63,434

Hourly rate: $30.50

Salary range: $45,000–$87,000

4. New York

Buildings in Manhattan, New York- special education teacher salary

Median salary: $64,250

Hourly rate: $30.89

Salary range: $45,000–$90,000

5. California

The pacific ocean at Big Sur, California

Median salary: $63,874

Hourly rate: $30.71

Salary range: $45,000–$89,000

6. Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut, USA Skyline on the river at sunset.

Median salary: $60,164

Hourly rate: $28.93

Salary range: $42,000–$84,000

7. Oregon

Sunrise at Portland, Oregon- special education teacher salary

Median salary: $59,266

Hourly rate: $28.49

Salary range: $42,000–$81,000

8. New Jersey

Aerial panorama of Trenton New Jersey skyline and state capitol at sunset. Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County.

Median salary: $60,228

Hourly rate: $28.96

Salary range: $42,000–$85,900

9. Massachusetts

Worcester, Massachusetts, USA Skyline at rush hour.

Median salary: $58,591

Hourly rate: $28.17

Salary range: $42,000–$80,000

10. Virginia

Richmond, Virginia, USA downtown skyline on the river at twilight.- special education teacher salary

Median salary: $56,559

Hourly rate: $27.19

Salary range: $40,000–$79,000

11. Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island, USA park and skyline.

Median salary: $55,984

Hourly rate: $25.92

Salary range: $40,000–$78,000

12. Delaware

Saturated early morning light hits the buildings and architecture of downtown Wilmington Delaware

Median salary: $55,147

Hourly rate: $26.51

Salary range: $38,000–$78,000

13. Wyoming

A bison stands in front of Mount Moran, north of Jackson Hole Wyoming- special education teacher salary

Median salary: $55,244

Hourly rate: $26.56

Salary range: $41,000–$74,000

14. Pennsylvania

Skyline of downtown Philadelphia Pennsylvania USA on a sunny summer day.

Median salary: $54,620

Hourly rate: $25.78

Salary range: $37,000–$75,000

15. Illinois

chicago skyline from the park

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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