SOC 25-2052 · Santa Fe, NM metro

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in Santa Fe, NM

The average salary for special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Santa Fe, New Mexico is $84,260 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $82,590: half of the 50 people in this job in the Santa Fe, NM metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% more than the U.S. average for this job ($72,650).

$84,260average per year

Median $82,590Take-home ≈ $65,309

  • $63K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $89K75th
  • $106K90th

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

50people in this job
+16%vs U.S. average
#1 of 4New Mexico metros
99cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School pay range in Santa Fe

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $105,830 or more. The middle half of special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Santa Fe earn between $78,590 and $88,960.

  • $63K10th
  • $79K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $89K75th
  • $106K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$84,260$7,022—
Median$82,590$6,882—
Entry level (25th percentile)$78,590$6,549—
Experienced (75th percentile)$88,960$7,413—

*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 Santa Fe vs. New Mexico and the U.S.

Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school in Santa Fe earn 13% more than the New Mexico average ($74,740) and 16% more than the U.S. average ($72,650). At the median the gap is +27% against the U.S. median of $65,120.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Santa Fe$84,260$82,590$63,080$105,83050
New Mexico$74,740$76,420$58,110$100,460880
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 Santa Fe

On the average salary of $84,260, a single filer in Santa Fe takes home about $65,309 a year, or $5,442 a month and $2,512 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

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

New Mexico paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Santa Fe area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.8), so the average $84,260 buys what about $85,312 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Fe ($48,710). A typical home costs $558,896, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $84,260 is worth in another city

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

Santa Fe ranks 1st of 4 New Mexico metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School salaries in New Mexico

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 Santa Fe: questions

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $63,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $78,590, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $65,309 a year ($5,442 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $84,260.

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

The average here is 16% 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 Santa Fe, NM (42140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.5%.
  • 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 0.44, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.44).

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