SOC 25-2057 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Special Education Teachers, Middle School — Ohio
Ohio · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Ohio comes to $74,590 a year, ahead of the national median of $66,810 by 11.6%.
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
- -1.9%
- Openings per year
- 6,300
- 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 Ohio.
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 Ohio comes to $74,590 a year, ahead of the national median of $66,810 by 11.6%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $60,080 and $86,150. The lowest tenth earn under $47,630, while the highest tenth earn more than $98,120.
Employment stands at 7,540, or 1.4 jobs per thousand held locally. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Ohio ranks 17th by median wage. Cleveland leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $79,890. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 231st of 774 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $47,630 | −28.7% |
| 25th | $60,080 | −10.1% |
| Median (50th) | $74,590 | +11.6% |
| 75th | $86,150 | +28.9% |
| 90th | $98,120 | +46.9% |
| Mean | $73,110 | +9.4% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Ohio
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland | $79,890 | 2,490 | |
| 2 | Dayton | $76,600 | 320 | |
| 3 | Mansfield | $72,830 | 90 | |
| 4 | Springfield | $72,750 | 80 | |
| 5 | Cincinnati | $64,090 | 820 | |
| 6 | Toledo | $62,670 | 410 | |
| 7 | Columbus | $61,420 | 1,370 | |
| 8 | Canton | $61,280 | 220 | |
| 9 | Akron | $59,690 | 210 | |
| 10 | Youngstown | $58,040 | 200 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Ohio run 7.2% below the national average, so the median of $74,590 goes as far as $80,377 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 20.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$74,590as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$80,377US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $74,590 a year, 11.6% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $47,630 to $98,120 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 7,540 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 17th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Cleveland, at $79,890.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Middle School in Ohio?
The median annual wage is $74,590, 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 $66,810, so pay in Ohio is 11.6% 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 Ohio earns more than $98,120 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $47,630 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 Cleveland, at $79,890 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 7,540 jobs in this occupation in Ohio. 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.
Explore related data