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SOC 25-2058 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolAppleton

Appleton, WI · 10 metro areas compared

$61,910 /year
180jobs in area
16.6%vs US median

The median wage for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School in Appleton, WI is $61,910 per year, 16.6% below the national median of $74,260.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $74,26010TH$47,69025TH$56,770MEDIAN$61,91090TH$77,680

Salary overview

The median wage for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School in Appleton, WI is $61,910 per year, 16.6% below the national median of $74,260. Pay ranges from under $47,690 at the tenth percentile to more than $77,680 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $56,770 to $74,730.

Employment stands at 180, or 1.4 jobs per thousand held locally. Janesville leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $73,280. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 150th of 347 by median pay.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Appleton, WI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$47,690−35.8%
25th$56,770−23.6%
Median (50th)$61,910−16.6%
75th$74,730+0.6%
90th$77,680+4.6%
Mean$62,710−15.6%

Other metro areas in Wisconsin

Median annual wage for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Janesville$73,28070
2Kenosha$73,26090
3Racine$71,400110
4Madison$70,810470
5Eau Claire$65,36070
6Sheboygan$65,23080
7La Crosse$64,770130
8Fond du Lac$63,54040
9Milwaukee$63,190860
10Wausau$60,49080

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Appleton run 5.9% below the national average, so the median of $61,910 goes as far as $65,792 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.4% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$61,910as reported by BLS

Local price level

94.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$65,792US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $61,910 a year, 16.6% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $47,690 to $77,680 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 180 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Janesville, at $73,280.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Special Education Teachers, Secondary School in Appleton, WI?

The median annual wage is $61,910, 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 $74,260, so pay in Appleton, WI is 16.6% 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 Appleton, WI earns more than $77,680 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $47,690 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 Janesville, at $73,280 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 180 jobs in this occupation in Appleton, WI. 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.

Special Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary in Appleton, WI (2025): $61,910 Median | Salary Explorer