SOC 25-2052 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School — Santa Maria
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA · 10 metro areas compared
At $98,940 a year, the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Santa Maria, CA sits 51.9% above the national figure of $65,120.
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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
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
At $98,940 a year, the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Santa Maria, CA sits 51.9% above the national figure of $65,120. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $93,780 and $118,370. The lowest tenth earn under $69,850, while the highest tenth earn more than $120,530.
The area has 300 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 1.5 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, San Francisco records the highest median at $105,290. Of the 433 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 114th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $69,850 | +7.3% |
| 25th | $93,780 | +44.0% |
| Median (50th) | $98,940 | +51.9% |
| 75th | $118,370 | +81.8% |
| 90th | $120,530 | +85.1% |
| Mean | $99,170 | +52.3% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | $105,290 | 3,440 | |
| 2 | Oxnard | $104,810 | 490 | |
| 3 | El Centro | $99,020 | 180 | |
| 4 | San Jose | $98,640 | 790 | |
| 5 | Sacramento | $98,330 | 1,700 | |
| 6 | Vallejo | $98,260 | 210 | |
| 7 | San Diego | $97,860 | 1,970 | |
| 8 | Merced | $97,340 | 160 | |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo | $97,260 | 130 | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | $96,970 | 6,410 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Santa Maria run 8.8% above the national average, so the median of $98,940 buys what $90,938 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 39.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$98,940as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$90,938US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $98,940 a year, 51.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $69,850 to $120,530 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 300 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is San Francisco, at $105,290.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Santa Maria, CA?
The median annual wage is $98,940, 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 Santa Maria, CA is 51.9% 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 Santa Maria, CA earns more than $120,530 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $69,850 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 San Francisco, at $105,290 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 300 jobs in this occupation in Santa Maria, CA. 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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