SOC 25-2052 · Athens-Clarke County, GA metro

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in Athens, GA

The average salary for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Athens, Georgia is $65,180 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $60,610: half of the 140 people in this job in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($72,650).

$65,180average per year

Median $60,610Take-home ≈ $52,048

  • $48K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $77K75th
  • $77K90th

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

140people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#8 of 11Georgia metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay range in Athens

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $77,450 or more. The middle half of special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Athens earn between $49,730 and $76,710.

  • $48K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $77K75th
  • $77K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$65,180$5,432—
Median$60,610$5,051—
Entry level (25th percentile)$49,730$4,144—
Experienced (75th percentile)$76,710$6,392—

*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 Athens vs. Georgia and the U.S.

Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Athens earn 10% less than the Georgia average ($72,090) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($72,650). At the median the gap is -7% against the U.S. median of $65,120.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Athens$65,180$60,610$48,070$77,450140
Georgia$72,090$72,880$49,510$98,7509,370
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 Athens

On the average salary of $65,180, a single filer in Athens takes home about $52,048 a year, or $4,337 a month and $2,002 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Georgia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Athens area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.3), so the average $65,180 buys what about $69,828 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Athens ($41,220). A typical home costs $373,118, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $65,180 is worth in another city

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

Athens ranks 8th of 11 Georgia metro areas for this job; Atlanta pays the most ($77,190).

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

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 Athens: questions

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $49,730, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $52,048 a year ($4,337 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $65,180.

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

The average here is 10% less 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 Athens-Clarke County, GA (12020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • 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 (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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