Special Education Teachers, Preschool pay in California

In California, the median pay for special education teachers, preschool is $59,550 a year. About 2,510 people work in this job there.

$59,550Median yearly pay

$48,400–$83,370Middle half of workers, yearly

2,510People in this job in California

That is 8% lower than the U.S. median ($64,830). California ranks 32nd of 45 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for special education teachers, preschool in California

Earns more than	Yearly
10% of workers	$38,050
25% of workers	$48,400
Half of workers (median)	$59,550
75% of workers	$83,370
90% of workers	$117,700

Special Education Teachers, Preschool pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$117,200	240
Fresno	$93,800	120
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$82,280	0
Vallejo	$75,140	50
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$72,390	0
Bakersfield-Delano	$62,080	0

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for special education teachers, preschool

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
Job outlook: +2.4% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 2,000 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	$99,650
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	$47,400
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	$101,060
Special Education Teachers, All Other	$103,050
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	$82,550
Special Education Teachers, Middle School	$101,530
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors	$102,030
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$101,370

Other job titles for this job

Autistic TeacherBehavior InterventionistBehavioral InterventionistDeaf Education TeacherEarly Childhood Special Education TeacherEcse TeacherEarly Childhood Special EducatorEc Special EducatorEarly Intervention TeacherEd TeacherEducational Intervention TeacherExceptional Needs Teacher

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.