Special Education Teacher (Middle School) salary
From 296 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 25-2057: Special Education Teachers, Middle School
- Also filed as: Middle School Special Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher Middle School
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 74% of Special Education Teacher (Middle School) filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Dallas Independent School District. 16 filings (5% of the total), median $65,000.
- Median up 12% since FY2020. From $54,000 in FY2020 to $60,715 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Special Education Teacher (Middle School) H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 296 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Special Education Teacher (Middle School) jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 25-2057, Special Education Teachers, Middle School). The median base salary is $62,000, 49% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $53,291 and $71,082. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 74% of filings. San Jose, CA has the most filings (18), and Dallas Independent School District is the employer that files the most (16).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Special Education Teacher (Middle School)
Employers with the most Special Education Teacher (Middle School) filings. Bar: share of all Special Education Teacher (Middle School) filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 74% of filings
Mid-level · 21% of filings
Senior · 0% of filings
Expert · 5% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $58,648 | 148 |
| Level II · Qualified | $67,170 | 41 |
| Level III · Experienced | – | 0 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $63,397 | 10 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Special Education Teacher (Middle School) pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 6 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $72,161 | 18 |
| Columbia, SC | $74,406 | 17 |
| Dallas, TX | $65,000 | 17 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $71,851 | 16 |
| Atlanta, GA | $63,221 | 12 |
| Albany, GA | $56,290 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Special Education Teacher (Middle School) does
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
Typical tasks
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Special Education Teachers, Middle School (25-2057.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Special Education Teachers, Middle School), the median annual wage was $66,810 in May 2025, with 95,200 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $62,000, 7% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,360 | $49,420 |
| 25th percentile | $53,291 | $60,000 |
| Median | $62,000 | $66,810 |
| 75th percentile | $71,082 | $82,800 |
| 90th percentile | $81,613 | $102,510 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $48,360 |
| 25th | $53,291 |
| 50th (median) | $62,000 |
| 75th | $71,082 |
| 90th | $81,613 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $54,000 | $46,603 | $57,958 | 61 |
| FY2021 | $55,078 | $49,000 | $59,291 | 52 |
| FY2022 | $56,354 | $50,001 | $62,890 | 70 |
| FY2023 | $56,547 | $48,781 | $67,109 | 132 |
| FY2024 | $58,752 | $49,836 | $68,929 | 214 |
| FY2025 | $62,000 | $56,290 | $70,000 | 198 |
| FY2026 | $60,715 | $50,575 | $72,366 | 98 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Special Education Teacher (Middle School) make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Special Education Teacher (Middle School) jobs is $62,000 (296 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $53,291 and $71,082.
What does an entry-level Special Education Teacher (Middle School) earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $58,648. Level I accounts for 74% of Special Education Teacher (Middle School) filings.
Do H-1B Special Education Teacher (Middle School)s earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($62,000) is 7% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($66,810, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.