Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $97,170 | $71,377 | +36% |
| Median hourly wage | $46.72 | $34.32 | +36% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $87,778.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Special Education Teacher in California is $97,170, or about $46.72 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Special Education Teachers is $71,377. California is +36% above the national median.
Entry-level special education teachers in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 23,280 special education teacher jobs on record and a median salary of $97,170, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, special education teachers rank 237 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 70% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary at $165,110, Geography Teachers, Postsecondary at $146,040, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary at $139,720 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, special education teachers rank 237 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 70% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $165,110 | $17,350 |
| Geography Teachers, Postsecondary | $146,040 | $280 |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | $139,720 | $1,460 |
| Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | $139,420 | $1,130 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $137,360 | $770 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $137,280 | $2,720 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.