Prevailing Wage for Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Prevailing wage for Special Education Teachers, Middle School (SOC 25-2057) is set by DOL using regional wage surveys and varies significantly by city and experience level. Whether your offer letter says Intervention Specialist, Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher), or Exceptional Children Teacher (EC Teacher), the same four DOL wage levels apply, and the floor differs substantially between metros.
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Entry-level teachers new to the occupation, typically in their first one to two years in a U.S. classroom setting. May hold a valid teaching license but have limited experience with IEP development or individualized disability-specific instruction.
Qualified teachers with a few years of classroom experience and demonstrated competency managing IEPs and differentiated instruction. Level 2 is the most common filing level for sponsored Special Education Teachers, Middle School positions, reflecting a standard fully licensed placement.
Experienced practitioners who lead caseloads independently, mentor newer staff, or hold specialized endorsements in areas such as visual impairment or deaf education. Typically five or more years in the occupation with a record of measurable student outcomes.
Fully competent senior teachers who may coordinate special education programs, supervise paraprofessionals, or serve as department leads. Brings deep expertise across disability categories and often participates in district-level curriculum or compliance planning.
Prevailing Wage for Special Education Teachers, Middle School by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Verify your IEP caseload matches your filed level
School districts often file at Level 2 regardless of caseload complexity. If your position requires managing 15-plus active IEPs across multiple disability categories, the role scope may support a Level 3 filing, and accepting a lower-level offer means accepting a lower wage floor.
Watch out for California metro wage gaps
Special education roles in California metros like Riverside and San Jose carry prevailing wages roughly double those in low-paying metros like Lubbock or Las Vegas. A district posting that omits location details may be quoting the national median, not your actual worksite floor.
Confirm your title maps to SOC 25-2057
Titles like Learning Support Teacher or Inclusion Teacher sometimes get filed under general elementary or secondary education SOC codes, missing the Special Education Teachers, Middle School wage floor entirely. Ask your sponsoring district which SOC code appears on the certified LCA before signing.
Use Migrate Mate to find districts with sponsorship history
Public school districts vary widely in H-1B and green card sponsorship activity. Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Special Education Teachers, Middle School roles, so you can target districts already familiar with the LCA and I-129 process.
Jobs for Special Education Teachers, Middle School are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 25-2057.00 alongside Special Education Teachers, Middle School, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Exceptional Children Teacher (EC Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Exceptional Children Teacher (EC Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Exceptional Children Teacher (EC Teacher) positions fall under SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Inclusion Teacher Prevailing Wage
Inclusion Teacher Prevailing Wage
Inclusion Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Intervention Specialist Prevailing Wage
Intervention Specialist Prevailing Wage
Intervention Specialist positions fall under SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Learning Disabilities Teacher (LD Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Learning Disabilities Teacher (LD Teacher) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Learning Disabilities Teacher (LD Teacher) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Learning Support Teacher Prevailing Wage
Learning Support Teacher Prevailing Wage
Learning Support Teacher is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Middle School Special Education Teacher (MS SPED Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Middle School Special Education Teacher (MS SPED Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Middle School Special Education Teacher (MS SPED Teacher) positions fall under SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Self-Contained Special Education Teacher (Self-Contained SPED Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Self-Contained Special Education Teacher (Self-Contained SPED Teacher) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Self-Contained Special Education Teacher (Self-Contained SPED Teacher) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Special Education Teacher (SPED Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Special Education Teacher (SPED Teacher) Prevailing Wage
Special Education Teacher (SPED Teacher) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
SPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher) Prevailing Wage
SPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher) Prevailing Wage
SPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher) positions fall under SOC 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Special Education Teachers, Middle School?
DOL's Office of Foreign Labor Certification uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 25-2057, OFLC calculates four wage levels from the regional wage distribution in the area of intended employment. Employers filing an LCA must pay at least the applicable level wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
Level 1 covers entry-level teachers new to the occupation. Level 2 applies to qualified teachers with standard licensure and classroom experience, and is the most common filing level for sponsored special education positions. Level 3 reflects experienced practitioners with specialized endorsements or lead responsibilities. Level 4 covers senior or program-coordinator roles. Your level should match the actual duties and experience requirements in the job offer, not just the title.
Why does the prevailing wage for this role vary so much between cities?
OFLC calculates wages from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the wage floor reflects local teacher pay scales, union contracts, and cost-of-labor conditions in each metro. The LCA must list the actual worksite location, so the controlling wage is always the metro where you will work, not where the district's administrative office is located. California metros consistently produce higher floors than rural Texas or Nevada metros because underlying teacher salaries are higher there.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA or file an H-1B or PERM petition at a salary below the applicable prevailing wage. If the offer falls short, USCIS or OFLC will deny or decertify the filing. The employer must either raise the offered wage to meet the floor before filing or reclassify the role at a lower experience level that genuinely matches the position duties. Accepting a below-floor offer creates compliance risk for the employer and jeopardizes your petition.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 25-2057 for the specific metro where you will work. Select the area of intended employment and confirm all four wage levels for the current survey period. You can also cross-reference published employer LCA filings in OFLC disclosure data to see what wage levels districts in your target city have historically certified. Migrate Mate lists employers with sponsorship history in this occupation, helping you identify districts actively filing for this role.
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