Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Tennessee | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $62,560 | $71,377 | -12% |
| Median hourly wage | $30.08 | $34.32 | -12% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $68,074.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Special Education Teacher in Tennessee is $62,560, or about $30.08 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Special Education Teachers is $71,377. Tennessee is -12% below the national median.
Entry-level special education teachers in Tennessee typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 3,910 special education teacher jobs on record and a median salary of $62,560, Tennessee offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, special education teachers rank 269 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 63% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary at $128,270, Economics Teachers, Postsecondary at $104,560, Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary at $100,640 — all figures are median annual wages for Tennessee.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, special education teachers rank 269 of the 730 occupations reported in Tennessee — higher than 63% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Tennessee | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $128,270 | $350 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,560 | $250 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $100,640 | $790 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,870 | $4,400 |
| Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,560 | $100 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,160 | $80 |
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so take-home pay is closer to the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 92.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 730 occupations in Tennessee.