Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary
The median pay for a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $65,080/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $65,984 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 34.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $65K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $65K | $63K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $61K | $62K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $62K | $66K |
| El Paso | $64K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98K | +50% | 1,070 |
| California | $97K | +49% | 23,280 |
| Washington | $95K | +46% | 3,450 |
| Massachusetts | $91K | +40% | 7,220 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | +29% | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $83K | +27% | 2,810 |
| New York | $81K | +25% | 21,130 |
| Alaska | $80K | +23% | 320 |
| Maryland | $79K | +21% | 2,760 |
| Illinois | $78K | +20% | 14,040 |
| Oregon | $78K | +19% | 1,520 |
| New Jersey | $77K | +18% | 11,610 |
| New Mexico | $76K | +17% | 880 |
| Michigan | $75K | +15% | 4,010 |
| Colorado | $74K | +14% | 4,010 |
| Vermont | $74K | +14% | 770 |
| Ohio | $74K | +14% | 9,550 |
| Georgia | $73K | +12% | 9,370 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | +12% | 7,640 |
| Virginia | $68K | +4% | 7,440 |
| Minnesota | $68K | +4% | 3,960 |
| Delaware | $66K | +1% | 1,070 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | +0% | 1,110 |
| Nevada | $65K | -0% | 430 |
| Alabama | $65K | -1% | 870 |
| Idaho | $64K | -2% | 620 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -4% | 3,910 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -4% | 1,900 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -4% | 2,950 |
| Texas | $62K | -4% | 56,760 |
| Maine | $62K | -5% | 1,320 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | -6% | 4,280 |
| Utah | $61K | -6% | 1,890 |
| Hawaii | $61K | -6% | 1,270 |
| Wyoming | $61K | -6% | 650 |
| Iowa | $60K | -7% | 2,560 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -8% | 3,710 |
| Kansas | $60K | -8% | 1,610 |
| Florida | $59K | -10% | 8,740 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -10% | 4,000 |
| Indiana | $59K | -10% | 3,640 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -11% | 4,430 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -11% | 590 |
| Montana | $58K | -12% | 560 |
| Missouri | $57K | -12% | 2,860 |
| Arizona | $56K | -14% | 2,450 |
| Arkansas | $54K | -17% | 1,430 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -22% | 790 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -22% | 2,360 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -22% | 2,530 |
| West Virginia | $50K | -23% | 1,690 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
Related careers in Education
Frequently asked questions
Can a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 34.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,074/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 51% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $65,080 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,230, and experienced special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools can clear $75,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,514/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 34.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school salary is worth about $65,984 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary schools get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.