SOC 25-2052 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Riverside, California is $90,900 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $91,840: half of the 3,140 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% more than the U.S. average for this job ($72,650).

$90,900average per year

Median $91,840Take-home ≈ $68,416

  • $63K10th
  • $76K25th
  • $92KMedian
  • $108K75th
  • $123K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

3,140people in this job
+25%vs U.S. average
#12 of 22California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,390 a year or less, while the top 10% make $123,370 or more. The middle half of special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Riverside earn between $76,100 and $107,690.

  • $63K10th
  • $76K25th
  • $92KMedian
  • $108K75th
  • $123K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$90,900$7,575—
Median$91,840$7,653—
Entry level (25th percentile)$76,100$6,342—
Experienced (75th percentile)$107,690$8,974—

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only). Hourly to annual salary.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Riverside earn about the same as the California average ($93,510) and 25% more than the U.S. average ($72,650). At the median the gap is +41% against the U.S. median of $65,120.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$90,900$91,840$63,390$123,3703,140
California$93,510$97,170$63,180$123,59023,280
United States$72,650$65,120$49,350$103,010260,870

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $90,900, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $68,416 a year, or $5,701 a month and $2,631 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Riverside a good place for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $90,900 buys what about $85,399 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $90,900 is worth in another city

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 12th of 22 California metro areas for this job; El Centro pays the most ($110,170).

All Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($110,170).

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salary by city

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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salary in Riverside: questions

What is the entry-level special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,390 a year and the 25th percentile is $76,100, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school take-home pay in Riverside?

About $68,416 a year ($5,701 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $90,900. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 25% more than the U.S. average for this job ($72,650).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 25-2052; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.09, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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