How much do special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school make?

What the national Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median says

The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the U.S. median for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School at $65,120 per year. Median means the middle. Half of the wage values used for this estimate fall below that point. Half fall above it. The median is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. It is one clear mark for the middle of a broad national pay range.

BLS also lists 260,870 wage and salary jobs for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School. That count covers jobs in the survey's scope. It does not count open job ads. It also leaves out people who work for themselves. The wage and job counts share the same May 2025 reference point, so they can be read together without mixing time periods.

The Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School mean of $72,650 per year is 11.6% above the $65,120 median on the same published median. Mean means BLS adds the wage values and divides the total by the number of jobs behind the estimate. A gap between mean and median shows that the shape is not even. It does not explain the cause of the gap.

The fields that make SOC 25-2052 its own page

BLS names this record Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School and gives it SOC 25-2052. The two-part code is the stable key for this page. A role with a close name keeps a different code, wage row, job count, and area pattern. WageScope never joins two SOC records because their words sound alike.

For SOC 25-2052, the U.S. row reports 260,870 wage and salary jobs. Its annual median is $65,120 per year. Its matching mean is $72,650 per year. These facts come from one national row and one May 2025 release.

SOC 25-2052 appears in 52 state or territory rows. It also has 335 metro rows and 131 nonmetro rows. A missing local row stays missing. We do not fill it with U.S. data or data for a similar job code.

• SOC 25-2052 10th percentile: $49,350 per year.
• SOC 25-2052 25th percentile: $59,710 per year.
• SOC 25-2052 median: $65,120 per year.
• SOC 25-2052 75th percentile: $80,280 per year.
• SOC 25-2052 90th percentile: $103,010 per year.
• SOC 25-2052 employment RSE: 1.2%. Mean-wage RSE: 0.5%.
• SOC 25-2052 suppression marks: hourlyMean: not available, hourlyMedian: not available, hourlyP10: not available, hourlyP25: not available, hourlyP75: not available, hourlyP90: not available.

Read the Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School wage ladder from low to high

The 10th percentile is $49,350 per year. The 25th percentile is $59,710 per year. The median is $65,120 per year. The 75th percentile is $80,280 per year. The 90th percentile is $103,010 per year. Each point marks a place in the same national wage spread.

A percentile is a rank point. It is not a career step. For example, the 10th percentile means 10% of wage values are at or below that mark. It does not mean a new worker starts there. The 90th percentile means 90% are at or below that mark. It does not mean a worker can reach it after a set number of years.

The middle half runs from $59,710 to $80,280 per year. That span is $20,570. The full 10th-to-90th span is $53,660. These spans show why one median cannot stand in for every Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School job.

What the gaps around the Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median show

The median is 32.0% above the 10th percentile. The 90th percentile is 58.2% above the median. The two sides do not have to match. A wider upper side can pull the mean up. A wider lower side can pull it down. The data shows the shape, but not the reason for that shape.

The 25th-to-median step is $5,410 per year. The median-to-75th step is $15,160 per year. These two steps give a closer look at the middle half. They are often more useful than a single top-to-bottom gap because they keep the center in view.

Use this ladder as a fact check when you read a job post. A posted range can sit below, near, or above these BLS marks. That does not make the post wrong. A job may differ by place, hours, level, field, employer, or work rules. Keep the posted range tied to that listing. Keep the BLS range tied to the whole occupation.

Metro areas with the highest published Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School medians

WageScope found 335 metro rows with the same published annual median for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School. It sorts only those rows. It does not fill a blank row. It does not turn a blank into zero. The first six rows below have the highest published medians in this release. The list is a wage rank, not a rank of places to live or work.

The first row is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, at $105,290 per year. The middle metro row by published pay is Wheeling, WV-OH, at $62,200 per year. That middle metro mark gives one more check on how far the top rows sit from a common place in the set.

These are nominal wages. Nominal means the dollar amount shown in the source. This list does not adjust for local price levels. It also does not tell us how many openings an area has now. Use a local page to see price-level context when an exact BEA row exists. Use the separate job block to inspect current employer-title matches.

• 1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median of $105,290 per year, or $40,170 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. BLS lists 3,440 jobs there, against 260,870 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.86.
• 2. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median of $104,810 per year, or $39,690 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. BLS lists 490 jobs there, against 260,870 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.89.
• 3. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median of $100,150 per year, or $35,030 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. BLS lists 1,740 jobs there, against 260,870 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.5.
• 4. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median of $99,840 per year, or $34,720 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. BLS lists 60 jobs there, against 260,870 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.66.
• 5. El Centro, CA has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median of $99,020 per year, or $33,900 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. BLS lists 180 jobs there, against 260,870 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 1.6.
• 6. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median of $98,940 per year, or $33,820 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. BLS lists 300 jobs there, against 260,870 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.89.

Metro areas with the largest Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School job estimates

A large wage can appear in a small job market. A large job market can have a lower wage. That is why WageScope keeps pay and job count in separate views. The six rows below have the largest published employment estimates for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School among metro rows in this release. Employment means the number of wage and salary jobs in scope. It does not mean open roles.

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has the largest listed metro estimate in this set, at 22,270 jobs. Its median is $91,610 per year. Compare that with San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, which leads the published median list. The leaders may match, or they may not. Each list answers a different question.

Job count can help you see the scale of a local labor market. It cannot show churn, new hiring, job quality, remote work, or the chance that one person will get hired. Current listings add a second view, but they are a dated sample of posts. WageScope never turns the listing count into a demand score.

• 1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 22,270 estimated Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs. That is 8.5% of the U.S. estimate of 260,870 jobs. Its median is $91,610 per year, or $26,490 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. Its location quotient is 1.4.
• 2. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has 15,810 estimated Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs. That is 6.1% of the U.S. estimate of 260,870 jobs. Its median is $64,830 per year, or $290 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. Its location quotient is 2.33.
• 3. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has 12,680 estimated Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs. That is 4.9% of the U.S. estimate of 260,870 jobs. Its median is $65,080 per year, or $40 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. Its location quotient is 2.3.
• 4. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 11,210 estimated Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs. That is 4.3% of the U.S. estimate of 260,870 jobs. Its median is $79,690 per year, or $14,570 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. Its location quotient is 1.48.
• 5. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has 6,410 estimated Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs. That is 2.5% of the U.S. estimate of 260,870 jobs. Its median is $96,970 per year, or $31,850 above the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. Its location quotient is 0.61.
• 6. Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX has 6,190 estimated Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School jobs. That is 2.4% of the U.S. estimate of 260,870 jobs. Its median is $60,750 per year, or $4,370 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. Its location quotient is 2.85.

Where Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School has a larger share of local jobs

Location quotient is a share check. A value of 1 means the role has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. A value above 1 means the local share is larger. A value below 1 means the local share is smaller. It is not a count. It is not a wage. It does not say that a place is growing.

Sherman-Denison, TX has the highest published location quotient in this bounded metro set, at 6.11. The same row lists 540 jobs and a median of $60,390 per year. Reading all three values keeps a high share from being mistaken for a large market or high pay.

A small area can have a high location quotient because the role makes up a large part of a small local job base. A large area can have many workers and a lower quotient. Use the quotient to ask where the role is common in the mix. Use employment to ask how many jobs BLS estimated. Use the wage fields to ask what the published pay range looks like.

• 1. Sherman-Denison, TX has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School location quotient of 6.11. BLS lists 540 jobs and a median of $60,390 per year, or $4,730 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. The U.S. job estimate is 260,870.
• 2. Wichita Falls, TX has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School location quotient of 5.51. BLS lists 510 jobs and a median of $59,790 per year, or $5,330 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. The U.S. job estimate is 260,870.
• 3. El Paso, TX has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School location quotient of 4.19. BLS lists 2,380 jobs and a median of $64,000 per year, or $1,120 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. The U.S. job estimate is 260,870.
• 4. Brownsville-Harlingen, TX has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School location quotient of 4.01. BLS lists 1,060 jobs and a median of $61,440 per year, or $3,680 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. The U.S. job estimate is 260,870.
• 5. Longview, TX has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School location quotient of 3.46. BLS lists 690 jobs and a median of $58,650 per year, or $6,470 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. The U.S. job estimate is 260,870.
• 6. Amarillo, TX has a Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School location quotient of 3.24. BLS lists 670 jobs and a median of $60,340 per year, or $4,780 below the U.S. Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School median. The U.S. job estimate is 260,870.

How Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School sits in Educational Instruction and Library

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is SOC 25-2052. BLS places it in the Educational Instruction and Library major group. Among 64 detailed roles in that group with a published annual median, Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School ranks 45 of 64 by median. This is a pay rank inside one source family. It is not a rank of skill, value, status, or career fit.

The closest same-family medians help set a fair peer frame. They do not claim that the work is the same. Official SOC titles can cover different tasks and settings. WageScope uses the family only because BLS publishes that link. It does not infer a career move, a skill match, or a hiring path from the wage gap.

Use these peer rows to spot whether the $65,120 median sits near many family roles or far from them. Then open a role's own page before using its number. Each role has a different code, job count, wage spread, and place pattern. One family label does not erase those facts.

• 1. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School, SOC 25-2023, has a U.S. median of $65,030 per year. Its gap from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $90 per year.
• 2. Special Education Teachers, Preschool, SOC 25-2051, has a U.S. median of $64,830 per year. Its gap from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $290 per year.
• 3. Archivists, SOC 25-4011, has a U.S. median of $64,550 per year. Its gap from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $570 per year.
• 4. Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, SOC 25-2022, has a U.S. median of $64,370 per year. Its gap from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $750 per year.
• 5. Teachers and Instructors, All Other, SOC 25-3099, has a U.S. median of $66,140 per year. Its gap from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $1,020 per year.
• 6. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School, SOC 25-2032, has a U.S. median of $66,270 per year. Its gap from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School is $1,150 per year.

How much care to use with the Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School estimate

The relative standard error for the job count is 1.2%. For the mean wage it is 0.5%. This measure, called RSE, shows survey precision. A smaller RSE often means less uncertainty from the sample. It does not tell you whether one person's pay is right or wrong.

The employment RSE applies to the 260,870 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE applies to the published mean of $72,650 per year. These fields do not give a matching RSE for the median or each percentile. WageScope shows the fields BLS published and does not move one RSE to another measure.

Survey values can change when BLS changes its methods, sample, models, or source year. That is why we show May 2025 on this page. Before we use a new release, we check its files, rows, and pages. A changed number is only a correction if the source calls it one.

A simple way to compare Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School across places

First, compare the same wage metric. Use annual with annual or hourly with hourly. Next, check the source date. Keep May 2025 BLS rows together. Then read employment and location quotient beside pay. This stops a high median from standing in for market size or local share. Last, add BEA price-level context only when the exact place has an approved row.

A state, metro, and nonmetro area are not the same kind of map. Do not rank them in one list without saying so. WageScope groups like with like. It also keeps a national row as a broad bench mark. A local page can show the local row, its state row when that link is exact, and the U.S. row without blending them.

If a value is blank, keep it blank. If BLS marks a top code, read it as a lower bound. Do not fill a blank from a nearby place. Do not turn a wage gap into a claim about taxes, hours, benefits, work rules, or a household budget. Those facts are not in the OEWS row.

Move from Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School wage data to one real listing

The job block on this page uses a strict employer-title match for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School. It may show fewer rows than the full MeritLog job search. That is on purpose. A false negative is safer here than a job card for a different role. Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. The cards do not change the BLS wage data.

Open one listing and read its own pay, work place, level, and needs. Compare its posted range with the BLS spread only as context. A posted range is set by an employer for one role. The BLS range is a survey view across many jobs. Neither source proves that a person is fit for the work.

When you tailor a résumé, use work facts you can back up. Do not turn $65,120 into a skill or result. Do not copy a BLS job count into your work history. MeritLog can help shape confirmed experience for a chosen listing. The wage page stays public and read only. It does not save a job or create a résumé on page load.

What this Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School page does not claim

This page does not say what one Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School worker earns. It does not promise that a job pays the median. It does not state a starting wage. It does not explain why the mean and median differ. It does not add benefits, tips, stock, bonus pay, taxes, or work hours unless BLS includes them in the published wage measure.

The page does not count people who work for themselves. It does not turn 260,870 into current openings. It does not read private MeritLog jobs or Career Memory. MeritLog does not use the page to build a private career profile. While public analytics are on, GA4, Ahrefs, and Meta may get this page's URL. Use Your Privacy Choices or Global Privacy Control to turn that off. The page does not send its text to a model.

The best use is narrow and clear. Read the May 2025 BLS wage range. Check how the role changes by place. Add the separate 2024 BEA price level when an exact row exists. Inspect a dated employer-title match. Then make a résumé choice from facts you have confirmed. Keep each source tied to the question it can answer.