Compensation
Median Pay
$66,810
National median annual wage for this occupation.
National Career Overview
Special education teachers, middle school
Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
National Median Pay
$66,810
Projected Growth
-1.9%
Annual Openings
6,300
Career outlook
National Snapshot
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National
Employment
94,800
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Outlook
Projected Growth
-1.9%
Projected employment change through 2034.
Opportunity
Annual Openings
6,300
Estimated openings created each year.
Pathway
Preparation
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
STEP 1
Education
Bachelor's degree
STEP 2
Experience
None
STEP 3
Training
None
Top Skills for Success
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Adaptability
100 / 100
100%
Interpersonal
96 / 100
96%
Creativity & innovation
92 / 100
92%
Leadership
90 / 100
90%
Speaking & listening
90 / 100
90%
Writing & reading
82 / 100
82%
Problem solving & decision making
78 / 100
78%
Customer service
76 / 100
76%
Mathematics
70 / 100
70%
Critical & analytical thinking
69 / 100
69%
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Location Intelligence
Best Places for This Career
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
PRO
Best Metro Areas
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
- Top-paying cities
- Fast-growing markets
- Local opportunity rankings
CAREERGPS INSIGHTS
Career Analysis for Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Is Special education teachers, middle school a Good Career?
Special education teachers, middle school support students during a key transitional stage. This career combines educational expertise with strong interpersonal abilities and problem-solving skills. Nationally, there are about 95,000 people working in this occupation, with a typical entry point of a bachelor’s degree. The national median annual salary of $64,880 reflects a stable professional path with structured pay. While projected employment growth is -1.9%, there are still about 6,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing replacement needs and opportunities to enter the field. Successful professionals in this role draw on adaptability, creativity and innovation, and strong speaking and listening skills to work effectively in school environments. This occupation can appeal to people who value leadership, communication, and critical and analytical thinking. For those exploring related paths, similar occupations include other special education teaching roles at different grade levels, as well as elementary and secondary school teaching positions outside special education.
Special Education Teachers, Middle School Salary
The national median annual salary for special education teachers, middle school is $64,880, positioning this as a structured, stable earning path within education. Salaries vary meaningfully across states and metro areas. Among top states by opportunity score, California reports a median salary of $101,530, Washington $99,520, New York $93,820, Massachusetts $84,550, and Colorado $66,130. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median salary of $121,070, while Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA is $101,560 and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ is $94,740. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV has a median of $77,050 and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH is $81,620. These figures show that location plays a major role in earning potential, with some metros and states offering substantially higher median pay than the national median for this occupation.
Job Outlook for Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Special education teachers, middle school have national employment of about 95,000. Projected employment growth is -1.9%, indicating a modest decline in total positions over time. However, the occupation still shows approximately 6,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that while overall job numbers are expected to decrease slightly, there will be continuing opportunities due to turnover and other replacement needs. The uniform -1.9% growth figure also appears across multiple highlighted states and metro areas, emphasizing consistency in projected trends for this field. For job seekers, this means that finding roles may require focus on regions with stronger opportunity scores or larger employment bases but that the occupation remains active nationwide. People considering this path can weigh the stable annual openings against the negative growth rate when planning long-term career moves or exploring similar occupations in special and general education.
Where Are the Best Opportunities for Special Education Teachers, Middle School?
Location significantly shapes opportunity for special education teachers, middle school. Among states, California leads with a high opportunity score of 67.38, a median salary of $101,530, and employment of 4,860. New York combines the largest listed state employment at 7,870 with a $93,820 median salary and an opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts offers $84,550 in median pay with 3,110 employed and an opportunity score of 65.87, while Washington’s median is $99,520 with 1,550 employed and an opportunity score of 56.29. Colorado has 2,020 employed, a median salary of $66,130, and an opportunity score of 56.97. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA shows both the highest median salary ($121,070) and the top opportunity score (77.42), though with a relatively small employment base of 360. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ combines a strong opportunity score (77.27), large employment (8,330), and a median salary of $94,740, making it a particularly significant metro market for this occupation.
Education for Special Education Teachers, Middle School
The typical education requirement for special education teachers, middle school is a bachelor’s degree. This level of education provides a foundation for the broad mix of skills associated with success in the role. Key skills include adaptability and creativity and innovation, which support working in varied classroom situations. Strong interpersonal and customer service skills help in building relationships and responding to the needs of students and other stakeholders. Speaking and listening, along with writing and reading, are central communication abilities for this career. Leadership, critical and analytical thinking, and problem solving and decision making are also important, reflecting the need to guide learning and make sound instructional choices. Mathematics is another identified skill area, supporting aspects of middle school instruction. Together, these skills align with a bachelor’s-level preparation that emphasizes communication, analysis, and effective interaction in educational settings.
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