Special Education Teacher (Middle School) salary in Columbia, SC

Based on 17 certified H-1B filings in the Columbia, SC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Hopkins, Swansea, Lexington, St. Matthews.

Also listed as: Middle School Special Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher Middle School

Median salary$74,406
Middle 50%$63.6k–$75.1k
vs. national median+20%comparison median $62,000
Filings17FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $49,562 and $79,090.
PercentileSalary
10th$51,240
25th$63,564
50th (median)$74,406
75th$75,095
90th$77,056

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $55,578 (12 filings) FY2024: median $62,626 (13 filings) FY2025: median $68,803 (12 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 12 filings FY20 FY2021: 6 filings FY21 FY2022: 6 filings FY22 FY2023: 5 filings FY23 FY2024: 13 filings FY24 FY2025: 12 filings FY25 FY2026: 5 filings FY26 13
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$55,578$50,387$59,60812
FY2021–––6
FY2022–––6
FY2023–––5
FY2024$62,626$50,100$68,71713
FY2025$68,803$60,673$75,21212
FY2026–––5

Cost of living

Columbia's median Special Education Teacher (Middle School) salary of $74,406 is worth about $79,400 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Columbia = 93.7).

Compared with all workers here

All Special Education Teachers, Middle School in the Columbia, SC area earned a median of $58,900 in May 2025 (150 employed). The H-1B median here is $74,406, 26% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Richland County School District One$74,40612
Calhoun County School Districttoo few2
Lexington County School District Onetoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 8
Mid-level · Level II too few 8
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.