SOC 25-2051 · Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro

Special Education Teachers, Preschool Salary in Memphis, TN

The average salary for special education teachers, preschool in Memphis, Tennessee is $50,840 a year, according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $46,840: half of the 40 people in this job in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 33% less than the U.S. average for this job ($76,380).

$50,840average per year

Median $46,840Take-home ≈ $43,030

  • $39K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $64K90th

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

40people in this job
-33%vs U.S. average
#4 of 5Tennessee metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Special Education Teachers, Preschool pay range in Memphis

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $64,340 or more. The middle half of special education teachers, preschool in Memphis earn between $46,840 and $56,640.

  • $39K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $64K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$50,840$4,237—
Median$46,840$3,903—
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,840$3,903—
Experienced (75th percentile)$56,640$4,720—

*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, Preschool pay in Memphis vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Special education teachers, preschool in Memphis earn 14% less than the Tennessee average ($59,100) and 33% less than the U.S. average ($76,380). At the median the gap is -28% against the U.S. median of $64,830.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Memphis$50,840$46,840$39,360$64,34040
Tennessee$59,100$59,550$44,210$77,900330
United States$76,380$64,830$45,620$130,04029,510

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

Special Education Teachers, Preschool salary after taxes in Memphis

On the average salary of $50,840, a single filer in Memphis takes home about $43,030 a year, or $3,586 a month and $1,655 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$43,030$3,586
Working in MS$41,728$3,477
Working in AR$41,636$3,470

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Memphis a good place for special education teachers, preschool? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Memphis area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.2), so the average $50,840 buys what about $55,154 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Memphis ($46,890). A typical home costs $247,229, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $50,840 is worth in another city

Special Education Teachers, Preschool salary in other Tennessee cities

Memphis ranks 4th of 5 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($66,690).

All Special Education Teachers, Preschool salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for special education teachers, preschool

New York, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($101,880).

Special Education Teachers, Preschool salary by city

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Special Education Teachers, Preschool salary in Memphis: questions

What is the entry-level special education teachers, preschool salary in Memphis?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,840, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the special education teachers, preschool take-home pay in Memphis?

About $43,030 a year ($3,586 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,840. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do special education teachers, preschool earn more in Memphis than elsewhere?

The average here is 33% less than the U.S. average for this job ($76,380).

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 25-2051; area Memphis, TN-MS-AR (32820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.32, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.32).

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