Money · 1 of 5
What special education teachers make
Median
$65,120
Bottom tenth
$49,350
Top tenth
$103,010
The national median for elementary school special education teachers is $65,120 a year. The bottom tenth earn $49,350 or less and the top tenth $103,010 or more (2025 federal wage survey). The wage survey splits this job by grade level, and these are the elementary school figures. Your pay is set by a published district salary schedule, not by negotiating.