Special Education Teacher Salary By State: Highest-Paid Special Education Teachers by State 2024
Teachers in this specialty also help students with disabilities to incorporate skills into their daily activities. Special education teachers primarily teach students from preschool through high school, though some work with adults in college or vocational programs. Special education teachers regularly collaborate with other specialists, educators, administrators, and parents. Discover the top online university rankings for 2025 and popular degrees to pursue. Special education teachers must also understand new and emerging technology, such as assistive learning support technology. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific curriculum and employment opportunities are not guaranteed.
- In special education or in a subspecialty such as autism spectrum disorders or assistive technologies.
- Additionally, some states require candidates with a bachelor’s degree and an initial teaching license to complete a master’s in special education to become fully certified.
- Special education teachers adapt and develop new general education lessons for students with disabilities.
- The salary range for kindergarten and elementary level special education teachers in California typically spans from $57,780 to $123,900 per year.
- Public school special education teachers also need a state-issued license.
Special education teacher salary stats for California
Many schools offer special education as a standalone major, often with a focus on a particular school level, such as elementary education. Students take courses on topics like pedagogy, teacher education diversity, and foundations of teaching in special education. Many programs offer dual degrees leading to licensure in both special education and a teaching class, such as elementary education. The flexibility of an online degree particularly appeals to students with work and family obligations. Special education teachers adapt and develop new general education lessons for students with disabilities.
Some states require students to hold a bachelor’s degree in special education, while others allow candidates with a degree in education and a minor in special education to apply for licensure. A bachelor’s degree is the minimum education requirement for special education teachers. Prospective students should look for programs with accreditation through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which ensures that program content and training meet teaching and licensure standards. The salary range for kindergarten and elementary level special education teachers in California typically spans from $57,780 to $123,900 per year. This accounts for entry-level positions to more experienced teacher or administrative roles and takes into consideration other factors such as education and geographic location of employment. Requirements for a standard teaching license vary by state but typically include the completion of a bachelor’s degree and teacher-training program and passing scores on general and subject tests.
Students must also take a subject test in the subject they plan to teach, this test is commonly offered at the end of a state-approved teacher-training program. Some states require additional education, experience, and/or credentialing exams for special education teacher certification. Students should check their state board for individual licensing requirements. While the BLS projected little to no growth in special education teacher employment nationally through 2033, the situation in California is notably different. The state faces a significant shortage of special education teachers, leading to strong demand across all educational levels. To better understand special education teacher pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data across a multitude of channels including the BLS, FLC, and OPM.
Comparing salaries for different special ed teacher education levels
Some schools offer majors in subspecialties of special education, such as autism, learning disabilities and behavioral disorders, or early childhood special education. Most master’s degrees comprise around 60 credits and take two years of full-time study to complete, though accelerated options exist. Special education teachers may specialize in working with students with mild, moderate, or severe disabilities. They may also focus on a particular physical, sensory, or emotional disability. For instance, some special education teachers work exclusively with autistic children.
- This guide covers special education teaching careers, including degree options, licensure requirements, and career advancement opportunities.
- Graduates qualify for leadership roles, like superintendent and principal, as well as research and postsecondary teaching opportunities.
- And while there are many things to go into how much you, specifically, can expect to make, there’s really good data for average salaries for special education teacher by state across America broken down by seniority level.
Special Education Teacher Salary and Career Outlook
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. These challenges have led to an increase in the issuance of substandard credentials or permits to fill teaching positions.
What is the highest pay for Special Education Teachers?
We then supplement that data with actual listed salaries from job posts. Finally, the data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to create an average pay for special education teachers by state. Most bachelor’s degrees take four years of full-time study to complete, though some schools offer accelerated timelines. Learners pursuing a master’s in special education study topics like assessment and planning, instruction, and atfx trading platform adaptive teaching and learning for special education, usually culminating in a capstone course.
Graduates qualify for leadership roles, like superintendent and principal, as well as research and postsecondary teaching opportunities. This special education teacher salary guide for California aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the salary landscape and key information regarding the teaching profession in the state. Use this guide as a starting point to make informed decisions about your career path, negotiating salaries and for setting realistic expectations for your educational and professional future. The state with the best salary for special education teachers after this adjustment? Special education teachers earn slightly more than non-special-education teachers in a comparable age group. For example, kindergarten and elementary school teachers earn $57,980, on average, compared to the average kindergarten and elementary special educator’s salary of $59,390 per year.
Most special education teachers work in elementary schools, followed by secondary schools. Some of these professionals teach in exclusively special education environments, while others work in general classrooms. In California, kindergarten and elementary special ed teachers earned a median annual salary of $90,530, while secondary level special ed teachers earned $101,250. Special education teachers in private and public schools need at least a bachelor’s degree. Candidates can often take the Praxis I test to meet general test requirements for licensure.
How long does it take to get a bachelor’s degree in special education?
Most bachelor’s degrees in special education comprise about 120 credits and include a teacher-training field component, similar to a practicum or internship. Students can typically complete a bachelor’s degree in four years of full-time study, though some programs, particularly online options, offer accelerated timelines. Many colleges and universities offer special education programs at all levels of study, though a bachelor’s degree is the entry-level education requirement for special education teachers. A doctoral degree prepares special education teachers for top positions in the field as well as research and postsecondary teaching positions. In special education or in a subspecialty such as autism spectrum disorders or assistive technologies. Both types of degrees include interdisciplinary coursework rooted in special education theory and research, but Ph.D. programs typically focus on research, while Ed.D.
A master’s degree prepares special education teachers for leadership roles. Additionally, some states require candidates with a bachelor’s degree and an initial teaching license to complete a master’s in special education to become fully certified. Students should look for master’s programs with CAEP accreditation to ensure they meet certification requirements. Public school special education teachers also need a state-issued license.
A special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with learning, mental, physical, and/or emotional disabilities. Most special education teachers work in public schools, though some work in private schools. Public school special education teachers need a bachelor’s degree and a state-issued license, while private school teachers typically just need a bachelor’s degree. This guide covers special education teaching careers, including degree options, licensure requirements, and career advancement opportunities. Going forward we’ll use BLS data for special ed teachers in kindergarten and elementary schools and secondary schools as our reference.
Many programs require students to complete a student-teaching experience in their specialty. And while there are many things to go into how much you, specifically, can expect to make, there’s really good data for average salaries for special education teacher by state across America broken down by seniority level. So while your city may be slightly different than the state average, these averages give you a rough sense of what to expect for your salary. Doctoral students can typically tailor the degree to their interests through independent study projects and dissertations. Candidates complete their degree in 3-6 years, with Ph.D. programs often taking longer to complete than Ed.D.