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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School · SOC 25-2052

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in the Chicago Metro Area

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area

Figures describe the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Chicago city limits.

Median annual wage$79,690

BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation (workers typically work fewer than 2,080 hours per year).

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earned a median of $79,690 per year as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $53,010 at the 10th percentile to $104,490 at the 90th. BLS estimates 11,210 people work in this occupation in the area.

Pay distribution

Half of Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the Chicago metro area earn more than $79,690 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $62,300 and $100,640.

Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS)
Wage10th25thMedian75th90th
Annual$53,010$62,300$79,690$100,640$104,490

A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.

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How this area compares

  • Chicago metro areathis metro area
    $79,690
  • Illinoisstate (IL)
    $77,960
  • United Statesnational
    $65,120

Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.

The median here is +2% vs Illinois overall and +22% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.

Compare with other areas

Where this metro sits nationally

$44,420$64,710$85,000$105,290Missoula, MT — $44,420Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $45,600Columbia, MO — $46,120Jefferson City, MO — $46,230Fargo, ND-MN — $47,070Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $47,300Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $47,420Logan, UT-ID — $47,560Lafayette, LA — $47,710Hattiesburg, MS — $47,790Rocky Mount, NC — $47,910Clarksville, TN-KY — $48,440Yuma, AZ — $48,680Morgantown, WV — $48,690Alexandria, LA — $48,710Enid, OK — $48,890Lawrence, KS — $48,930Springfield, MO — $48,970Asheville, NC — $49,030Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $49,050Paducah, KY-IL — $49,110Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $49,120Wilmington, NC — $49,170Joplin, MO-KS — $49,210Charleston, WV — $49,240Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $50,270Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $50,400Goldsboro, NC — $50,420San Angelo, TX — $50,600Tucson, AZ — $50,660Tulsa, OK — $50,720Jackson, MS — $50,770Evansville, IN — $51,120Texarkana, TX-AR — $51,130Terre Haute, IN — $51,320St. Joseph, MO-KS — $51,490Lake Charles, LA — $51,630Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $52,290Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $52,360Jackson, TN — $52,370Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $53,250Jacksonville, NC — $53,660Monroe, LA — $53,820Burlington, NC — $53,920Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $54,350Jonesboro, AR — $54,760Port St. Lucie, FL — $55,220Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $55,380Winston-Salem, NC — $55,750Fayetteville, NC — $55,820Greenville, NC — $55,970South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $56,040Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $56,230Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $56,410Oklahoma City, OK — $56,790Muncie, IN — $56,900Bloomington, IN — $57,230Mayaguez, PR — $57,490San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $57,520Bangor, ME — $57,570Tyler, TX — $57,610Lawton, OK — $57,630Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $57,660Victoria, TX — $57,720Lynchburg, VA — $57,940College Station-Bryan, TX — $58,040Abilene, TX — $58,080Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $58,090Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $58,260Longview, TX — $58,650Macon-Bibb County, GA — $58,810Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $58,810Lubbock, TX — $58,820Manhattan, KS — $58,860Bismarck, ND — $58,880Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $58,930Hot Springs, AR — $58,950Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $58,960Fort Wayne, IN — $59,000Fort Smith, AR-OK — $59,110Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $59,130Cleveland, TN — $59,220Janesville-Beloit, WI — $59,220Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $59,280Aguadilla, PR — $59,310Wichita, KS — $59,350Dalton, GA — $59,440Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $59,460Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $59,500Decatur, AL — $59,650Midland, TX — $59,650Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $59,660Savannah, GA — $59,660Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $59,670Arecibo, PR — $59,690Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $59,710Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $59,780Wichita Falls, TX — $59,790Kansas City, MO-KS — $59,970Greensboro-High Point, NC — $60,000New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $60,000Fond du Lac, WI — $60,060Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $60,110Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $60,150Wausau, WI — $60,150Cedar Rapids, IA — $60,160Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $60,220Topeka, KS — $60,240Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $60,300Baton Rouge, LA — $60,310Appleton, WI — $60,330Amarillo, TX — $60,340Knoxville, TN — $60,390Sherman-Denison, TX — $60,390Ponce, PR — $60,430Corpus Christi, TX — $60,440Dubuque, IA — $60,470Dover, DE — $60,520Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $60,570Waco, TX — $60,580St. George, UT — $60,590Athens-Clarke County, GA — $60,610Grand Forks, ND-MN — $60,670Columbus, GA-AL — $60,680Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $60,750Owensboro, KY — $60,760Rochester, NY — $60,760Minot, ND — $60,780Sheboygan, WI — $60,790Cheyenne, WY — $60,800Rapid City, SD — $60,800Raleigh-Cary, NC — $60,860Colorado Springs, CO — $60,900Elizabethtown, KY — $60,910Johnstown, PA — $60,980Jacksonville, FL — $60,990Mankato, MN — $61,010Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $61,030Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $61,050Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $61,100Erie, PA — $61,160Green Bay, WI — $61,170Valdosta, GA — $61,170Peoria, IL — $61,200Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $61,240Manchester-Nashua, NH — $61,350Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $61,420Kankakee, IL — $61,420Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $61,440Iowa City, IA — $61,440Lexington-Fayette, KY — $61,450Guayama, PR — $61,490Bowling Green, KY — $61,500Charlottesville, VA — $61,590Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $61,610Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $61,680Laredo, TX — $61,780Williamsport, PA — $61,830Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $61,850Kenosha, WI — $61,880Ithaca, NY — $61,910Lincoln, NE — $61,930Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $61,940Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $62,020Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $62,110Florence, SC — $62,180Killeen-Temple, TX — $62,190Wheeling, WV-OH — $62,200San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $62,230Traverse City, MI — $62,230Tuscaloosa, AL — $62,230Richmond, VA — $62,310Champaign-Urbana, IL — $62,320Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $62,340Spartanburg, SC — $62,340Huntsville, AL — $62,350Reno, NV — $62,370Altoona, PA — $62,430Ogden, UT — $62,440Johnson City, TN — $62,560Monroe, MI — $62,580McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $62,600State College, PA — $62,730Glens Falls, NY — $62,920Omaha, NE-IA — $62,970Billings, MT — $63,000Pueblo, CO — $63,010North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $63,140Greeley, CO — $63,150Roanoke, VA — $63,160St. Louis, MO-IL — $63,190Pittsburgh, PA — $63,200Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $63,220Chattanooga, TN-GA — $63,220Columbia, SC — $63,270Elmira, NY — $63,370Mansfield, OH — $63,400Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $63,430Ames, IA — $63,480Boise City, ID — $63,480Albany, OR — $63,510Idaho Falls, ID — $63,590Twin Falls, ID — $63,600Gainesville, GA — $63,650La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $63,750Mobile, AL — $63,850El Paso, TX — $64,000Anniston-Oxford, AL — $64,010Lima, OH — $64,020Grand Island, NE — $64,080Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $64,220Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $64,230Bloomington, IL — $64,250Madison, WI — $64,270Salisbury, MD — $64,270Utica-Rome, NY — $64,280Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $64,430Pittsfield, MA — $64,460Grand Junction, CO — $64,540Toledo, OH — $64,580Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $64,640Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $64,640Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $64,750Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $64,830Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $65,080Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $65,170Decatur, IL — $65,390Rochester, MN — $65,620Flint, MI — $65,860Niles, MI — $65,970Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $66,000Binghamton, NY — $66,300Duluth, MN-WI — $66,420Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $66,500Ann Arbor, MI — $66,710Eau Claire, WI — $66,960Chambersburg, PA — $67,510Hinesville, GA — $67,650Vineland, NJ — $70,120Youngstown-Warren, OH — $70,780Montgomery, AL — $70,790St. Cloud, MN — $70,790Medford, OR — $70,910Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $71,570Warner Robins, GA — $72,080Canton-Massillon, OH — $72,440Jackson, MI — $72,910Rockford, IL — $72,910Battle Creek, MI — $73,380Cleveland, OH — $73,630Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $74,290Las Cruces, NM — $74,470Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $74,860Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $75,080Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $75,190Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $75,240Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $75,250Portland-South Portland, ME — $75,340Syracuse, NY — $75,690Columbus, OH — $75,710Farmington, NM — $75,830York-Hanover, PA — $76,120Lexington Park, MD — $76,190Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $76,320Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $76,450Springfield, OH — $76,580Akron, OH — $76,760Harrisonburg, VA — $76,940Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $77,210Reading, PA — $77,230Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $77,240Saginaw, MI — $77,430Springfield, IL — $77,430Eugene-Springfield, OR — $77,460Corvallis, OR — $77,700Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $77,740Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $77,840Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $77,930Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $77,960Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $78,330Lancaster, PA — $78,470Albuquerque, NM — $78,670Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $78,980New Haven, CT — $79,150Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $79,220Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $79,310Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $79,690Stockton-Lodi, CA — $79,760Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $79,880Springfield, MA — $79,970Salem, OR — $80,110Modesto, CA — $80,570Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $80,730Longview-Kelso, WA — $80,800Boulder, CO — $80,920Bend, OR — $81,050Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $81,140Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $81,150Barnstable Town, MA — $81,250Worcester, MA — $81,330Kingston, NY — $81,540Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $81,750Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $81,910Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $82,180Santa Fe, NM — $82,590Yakima, WA — $82,790Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $83,140Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $84,730Kennewick-Richland, WA — $85,000Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $85,330Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $87,550Chico, CA — $91,510New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $91,610Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $91,840Redding, CA — $92,820Napa, CA — $92,970Yuba City, CA — $94,260Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $95,040Bellingham, WA — $95,610Fresno, CA — $95,950Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $96,290Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $96,970San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $97,260Merced, CA — $97,340Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $97,410San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $97,860Vallejo, CA — $98,260Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $98,330San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $98,640Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $98,940El Centro, CA — $99,020Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $99,840Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $100,150Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $104,810San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $105,290

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

The Chicago metro area has the 49th-highest published median for this occupation among the 335 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Other metro areas in Illinois

Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.

  • Chicago metro areathis page
    $79,690
  • Springfield metro area
    $77,430
  • Rockford metro area
    $72,910
  • Decatur metro area
    $65,390
  • Bloomington metro area
    $64,250
  • Champaign metro area
    $62,320
  • Kankakee metro area
    $61,420

Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.

Keep exploring

Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$37,840Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$78,390Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$98,970Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$78,000Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$43,050Self-Enrichment Teachers$45,020

Highest-paying metro areas for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools · Highest-paying occupations in Chicago Metro

About this estimate

These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.

Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.