Special education teacher salary with a bachelor’s degree varies significantly depending on the state of employment. Special education teachers are employed in a number of sectors and are classified according to different job titles. The average annual salary for special education teachers is $ 54,480.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, special education teachers with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn a median salary of $51,410 per year. The lowest-earning 10% of special education teachers earn less than $32,070 per year, and the highest-earning 10% earn more than $79,940 per year.
Special education teacher salary with a bachelor’s degree
Introduction
Without special education teachers, we wouldn’t have the support system in place to help students with learning disabilities succeed in school. They help children and young people who struggle to learn new things and processes overcome their obstacles, so they can get a quality education like everyone else.
Median salary (2018): $$51,780 per year
Median salary is the middle value in a set of numbers.
It’s not the average salary, which is calculated by adding up all salaries and dividing them by the number of employees. It’s also not the same as mean (average) or mode (most common) because these calculations include negative numbers from some people who make more than they pay others.
Average salary (2018): $$59,170 per year
Average salary is the amount you can expect to earn in a year, assuming you work full-time. The average salary for special education teachers with bachelor’s degrees is $59,170 per year.
It’s important to note, however, that this does not mean that all special education teachers earn this amount. The average salary represents the midpoint on a scale of earnings from lowest to highest; it does not include an absolute value for all workers. In other words, if there are 100 workers who earn more than the average and 100 who earn less than it, then half of them will be above and half below.
BLS number of people employed (2018): 294,800
In the United States, approximately 294,800 people are employed as special education teachers. Worldwide, there are an estimated 10 million special education teachers.
Top paying states: Alaska, New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Here are the top-paying states for special education teachers with a bachelor’s degree:
- Alaska ($56,000)
- New York ($52,000)
- Massachusetts ($50,000)
- Rhode Island ($49,000)
If you’re interested in teaching in these states, consider applying to one of the colleges and universities they have listed on the state pages.
Bottom paying states: South Dakota and Idaho
The average salary for special education teachers in the United States is $59,170, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest paying states are South Dakota and Idaho, where the average salary is $39,640 and $39,370 respectively.
A special education teacher is a rewarding career.
If you have a bachelor’s degree in special education and are interested in working with students with disabilities, this is your career. Special education teachers work to help students learn and make progress by using individualized instruction. They also provide general curriculum for students without disabilities who need additional support to be successful in a regular classroom setting.
Special education teachers can specialize in one area, such as autism or learning disabilities, or they may teach students with a wide range of disabilities including physical impairments, speech impairments and emotional/behavioral disorders. If you have a passion for helping others (and love kids!), then becoming a special education teacher will give you an opportunity to put that passion into action while also earning an excellent salary!
Conclusion
A special education teacher salary can vary greatly depending on location, experience, degree level and certification. In general though, it is a fast growing industry with great potential for advancement in the field. With the median salary at around $60k per year there are many opportunities to increase your earnings as you gain more experience or move into higher positions such as director or administrator of special education programs at schools or government agencies such as Head Start.