Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN earned a median of $79,690 a year and a mean of $80,080 in May 2025. The median is 22.4% above the U.S. median ($65,120), ranking 53rd of 466 areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $79,690
- Median hourly
- not published
- Mean annual
- $80,080
- Jobs on record
- 11,210
Grey needle: U.S. median, $65,120 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare on pay for kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ranks 53rd of the 466 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas with a published median.
| Area | Rank | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 51 | $79,880 | 5,110 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 52 | $79,760 | 400 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 53 | $79,690 | 11,210 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 54 | $79,310 | 2,110 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 55 | $79,220 | 260 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 466 areas with a published figure.
How does pay here compare with Illinois and the U.S.?
The $79,690 median is 2.2% above the Illinois median ($77,960), and 22.4% above the U.S. median ($65,120). This area crosses state lines; Illinois is the first state named in its BLS title.
| Area | Median | 10th percentile | 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $79,690 | $53,010 | $104,490 | 11,210 |
| Illinois | $77,960 | $49,790 | $104,490 | 14,040 |
| United States | $65,120 | $49,350 | $103,010 | 260,870 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS state and national files, May 2025.
How does this job compare with all jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The $79,690 median is $24,970 above the $54,720 median for all occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, a pay ratio of 1.46 to 1.
Kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers hold 0.25% of the jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, against 0.17% of jobs across the U.S., a location quotient of 1.48.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS metropolitan totals and national file, May 2025.
How many kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers work in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
BLS counts 11,210 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 4.3% of the 260,870 in the U.S. That is 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, a location quotient of 1.48: the occupation's share of local jobs is 1.48 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025 and national file.
Related jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025.