Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in Houston, TX

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $65,080 a year — 0% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $54,472 take-home, or $4,539 a month.

Median salary
$65,080
$31.29 per hour
Typical range
$51,230 – $75,120
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Houston, TX
12,680
2.30× national concentration
▲6.0%
Pay trend: The median for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Houston, TX rose from $61,410 (May 2024) to $65,080 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 3.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School in Houston, TX
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$54,472
per year · effective tax rate 16.3%
$4,539Monthly
$2,270Twice a month
$2,095Every 2 weeks
$26.19Hourly
  • Federal income tax$5,630
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,035
  • Medicare (1.45%)$944
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$54,472

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay by experience in Houston, TX

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$51,230$24.63$43,343$3,612
25th percentile$62,090$29.85$52,069$4,339
Median (50th)$65,080$31.29$54,472$4,539
75th percentile$71,990$34.61$59,475$4,956
90th percentile (top earners)$75,120$36.12$61,677$5,140

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $65,080 buys in Houston, TX

Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school's $54,472 take-home pay has the buying power of $55,229 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,316
29% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,558
34% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,223
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Houston, TX has 2.3× the national concentration of special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school, adjusted for cost of living

Houston, TX ranks #11 of 15 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Boston, MA $97,410$72,707$67,156
2San Francisco, CA $105,290$75,970$65,711
3Riverside, CA $91,840$67,934$63,823
4Los Angeles, CA $96,970$70,999$62,518
5New York, NY $91,610$68,913$61,222
6Atlanta, GA $77,960$60,252$60,217
7El Paso, TX $64,000$53,604$59,618
8Chicago, IL $79,690$61,092$58,972
11Houston, TX$65,080$54,472$55,229

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 15 metros →

About the job: special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
-0.4% (slower than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salaries elsewhere in Texas

Frequently asked questions

How much does a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school make in Houston, TX?

The median special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $65,080 a year, or about $31.29 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $62,090 and $71,990.

What is a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?

On the median $65,080 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $54,472 a year ($4,539 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.

Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school?

Pay here is 0% below the national median of $65,120. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $55,229 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #11 of 15 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school afford rent in Houston, TX?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 29% of a median special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in Houston, TX

Cost of living & all salaries in Houston, TX →