SOC 25-2052 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School — Lancaster
Lancaster, PA · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Lancaster, PA comes to $78,470 a year, ahead of the national median of $65,120 by 20.5%.
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 Lancaster, PA.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Lancaster, PA comes to $78,470 a year, ahead of the national median of $65,120 by 20.5%. Pay ranges from under $59,170 at the tenth percentile to more than $95,700 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $63,420 to $81,110.
The area has 340 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.80 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Reading records the highest median at $77,230. Of the 433 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 96th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $59,170 | −9.1% |
| 25th | $63,420 | −2.6% |
| Median (50th) | $78,470 | +20.5% |
| 75th | $81,110 | +24.6% |
| 90th | $95,700 | +47.0% |
| Mean | $75,080 | +15.3% |
Other metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading | $77,230 | 280 | |
| 2 | York | $76,120 | 300 | |
| 3 | Allentown | $75,190 | 530 | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | $74,290 | 5,660 | |
| 5 | Chambersburg | $67,510 | 80 | |
| 6 | Harrisburg | $64,640 | 440 | |
| 7 | Pittsburgh | $63,200 | 990 | |
| 8 | State College | $62,730 | 70 | |
| 9 | Altoona | $62,430 | 50 | |
| 10 | Scranton | $61,940 | 290 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lancaster sit close to the national average, so $78,470 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$78,470as reported by BLSLocal price level
98.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$79,827US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $78,470 a year, 20.5% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $59,170 to $95,700 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 340 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Reading, at $77,230.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Lancaster, PA?
The median annual wage is $78,470, 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 Lancaster, PA is 20.5% higher. 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 Lancaster, PA earns more than $95,700 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $59,170 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 Reading, at $77,230 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 340 jobs in this occupation in Lancaster, PA. 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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