Special Education Teachers, Secondary School Salary
The median pay for a special education teachers, secondary school in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $69,210/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $70,171 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 32.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $69K 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, secondary schools
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Special education teachers, secondary school pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands tracks closely to the national median, $69K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.1% 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, secondary schools in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $66K | $64K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $64K | $65K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $62K | $65K |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $64K | $74K |
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, secondary schools (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $69K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Special Education Teachers, Secondary School salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $101K | +36% | 2,510 |
| California | $101K | +36% | 12,100 |
| District of Columbia | $100K | +34% | 440 |
| Maryland | $94K | +26% | 1,560 |
| Rhode Island | $93K | +25% | 830 |
| New York | $89K | +20% | 15,250 |
| Massachusetts | $84K | +13% | 5,470 |
| New Jersey | $84K | +13% | 7,520 |
| Connecticut | $82K | +10% | 1,920 |
| Alaska | $81K | +9% | 590 |
| Illinois | $80K | +8% | 9,490 |
| Vermont | $79K | +7% | 660 |
| Delaware | $78K | +6% | 1,160 |
| Michigan | $78K | +5% | 2,570 |
| Oregon | $77K | +4% | 1,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | +4% | 11,040 |
| New Mexico | $77K | +4% | 2,150 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +3% | 4,130 |
| Ohio | $76K | +3% | 10,580 |
| Georgia | $74K | -0% | 4,090 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | -6% | 910 |
| Virginia | $68K | -8% | 6,380 |
| Colorado | $67K | -9% | 2,970 |
| Hawaii | $66K | -11% | 800 |
| Texas | $65K | -13% | 10,200 |
| Arizona | $64K | -13% | 1,960 |
| Utah | $64K | -14% | 1,220 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -14% | 3,350 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -15% | 1,240 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -15% | 350 |
| Montana | $62K | -16% | 480 |
| Alabama | $62K | -16% | 740 |
| South Carolina | $62K | -16% | 1,780 |
| Maine | $62K | -17% | 860 |
| Florida | $62K | -17% | 7,940 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -17% | 2,010 |
| North Dakota | $61K | -18% | 520 |
| Indiana | $61K | -18% | 2,580 |
| Nevada | $61K | -18% | 350 |
| Iowa | $61K | -18% | 1,570 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -18% | 2,680 |
| Kansas | $61K | -18% | 1,650 |
| Idaho | $61K | -18% | 470 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -20% | 2,020 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -20% | 3,160 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -23% | 1,280 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -24% | 3,400 |
| Missouri | $56K | -25% | 2,760 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -25% | 840 |
| South Dakota | $55K | -26% | 500 |
| Mississippi | $52K | -30% | 1,670 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track special education teachers, secondary 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, secondary school afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $69K, rent takes 33.1% 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, secondary schools in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new special education teachers, secondary schools typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,613/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 44% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is special education teachers, secondary school a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $69K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for special education teachers, secondary schools?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $69K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $70K — below the national median.
How much do special education teachers, secondary schools make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $69,210 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,220, and experienced special education teachers, secondary schools can clear $77,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $69K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,756/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 33.1% 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, secondary 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, secondary school salary is worth about $70,171 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do special education teachers, secondary 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.