SOC 25-2052 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School — Arizona
Arizona · 6 metro areas compared
In Arizona the median wage is $56,030.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -1.8%
- Openings per year
- 15,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Arizona.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Arizona the median wage is $56,030. That is 14.0% lower than the national median of $65,120. Pay ranges from under $46,400 at the tenth percentile to more than $75,420 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $47,890 to $61,360.
The area has 2,450 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.45 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Arizona ranks number 46th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Phoenix records the highest median at $58,930. Of the 712 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 408th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $46,400 | −28.7% |
| 25th | $47,890 | −26.5% |
| Median (50th) | $56,030 | −14.0% |
| 75th | $61,360 | −5.8% |
| 90th | $75,420 | +15.8% |
| Mean | $57,470 | −11.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Arizona
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | $58,930 | 1,430 | |
| 2 | Tucson | $50,660 | 620 | |
| 3 | Yuma | $48,680 | 80 | |
| 4 | Lake Havasu City | $47,420 | 50 | |
| 5 | Prescott Valley | $47,300 | 40 | |
| 6 | Sierra Vista | $45,600 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Arizona sit close to the national average, so $56,030 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$56,030as reported by BLSLocal price level
100.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$55,641US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $56,030 a year, 14.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $46,400 to $75,420 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,450 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 46th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Phoenix, at $58,930.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Arizona?
The median annual wage is $56,030, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $65,120, so pay in Arizona is 14.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Arizona earns more than $75,420 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $46,400 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Phoenix, at $58,930 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,450 jobs in this occupation in Arizona. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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