Among the 12 metropolitan areas in New York, 4 had annual wages that were significantly above the national average for kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers, 6 had above-average wages for middle school special education teachers, and 5 had above-average wages for secondary school special education teachers. Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that four areas, including Kingston and New York-Newark-Jersey City, had above-average wages for all three of the selected occupations. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers was $61,960; for middle school special education teachers, $63,250; and for secondary school special education teachers, $64,590. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in New York, please see Technical Note.).

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected special education occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2017

Area	Kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers	Middle school special education teachers	Secondary school special education teachers
United States	$61,960	$63,250	$64,590
New York	75,760*	80,380*	85,600*
Albany-Schenectady-Troy	67,480*	79,660*	71,590*
Binghamton	58,360*	69,360	62,030
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls	59,580	68,810*	68,690
Elmira	(1)	(1)	(1)
Glens Falls	55,550*	68,450	67,660
Ithaca	56,700*	(1)	57,340*
Kingston	84,630*	83,400*	89,290*
New York-Newark-Jersey City	76,820*	79,370*	88,450*
Dutchess County-Putnam County	77,230*	86,060*	80,150*
Nassau County-Suffolk County	89,020*	99,630*	96,100*
New York-Jersey City-White Plains	75,770*	76,840*	89,080*
Rochester	62,860	62,620	65,420
Syracuse	65,590*	72,880*	87,820*
Utica-Rome	62,770	71,360*	63,380
Watertown-Fort Drum	69,090	(1)	80,850*
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.
Note: An asterisk indicates that the mean annual wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

Of the 12 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in the state, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area had a combined employment level of 51,140 for the three special education teacher occupations (kindergarten and elementary, middle, and secondary school). Sixty-nine percent (35,380) of those positions were located in one of the area’s four divisions, New York-Jersey City-White Plains. Another division, Nassau County-Suffolk County, had 7,960 jobs in the selected special education occupations. (See table B. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area’s Newark division contains no counties in New York, and its data have not been presented in this release.)

Table B. Employment of selected special education occupations in the United States, New York, and metropolitan areas in New York, May 2017

Area	Kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers	Middle school special education teachers	Secondary school special education teachers
United States	184,920	87,550	135,910
New York	19,390	10,900	16,880
Albany-Schenectady-Troy	740	320	590
Binghamton	190	110	100
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls	1,160	420	830
Elmira	(1)	(1)	(1)
Glens Falls	150	100	120
Ithaca	100	(1)	100
Kingston	140	130	90
New York-Newark-Jersey City	21,920	12,790	16,430
Dutchess County-Putnam County	310	300	350
Nassau County-Suffolk County	3,660	1,900	2,400
New York-Jersey City-White Plains	14,540	8,740	12,100
Rochester	1,140	740	1,580
Syracuse	500	240	290
Utica-Rome	270	230	180
Watertown-Fort Drum	70	(1)	(1)
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Wages for kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers in metropolitan areas in New York

Kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers in the Kingston metropolitan area earned $84,630 per year, measurably above the U.S. average of $61,960. Three other metropolitan areas in New York had a mean annual wage significantly above the U.S. average for this occupation: New York-Newark-Jersey City ($76,820), Albany-Schenectady-Troy ($67,480), and Syracuse ($65,590). Wages were significantly below the national average for this occupation in three areas in New York: Glens Falls ($55,550), Ithaca ($56,700), and Binghamton ($58,360). Four areas had wages that were not measurably different from the national average. (See chart 1.)

Wages for middle school special education teachers in metropolitan areas in New York

Kingston had a mean annual wage of $83,400 for middle school special education teachers, significantly above the U.S. average of $63,250. Five other metropolitan areas in New York had a mean wage significantly above the U.S. average, including Albany-Schenectady-Troy ($79,660) and New York-Newark-Jersey City ($79,370). Middle school special education teachers in the remaining areas for which data were available earned wages that were not measurably different from the occupation’s national average. (See chart 2.)

Wages for secondary school special education teachers in metropolitan areas in New York

Five metropolitan areas had average wages for secondary school special education teachers that were significantly higher than the $64,590 national average: Kingston ($89,290), New York-Newark-Jersey City ($88,450), Syracuse ($87,820), Watertown-Fort Drum ($80,850), and Albany-Schenectady-Troy ($71,590). Ithaca ($57,340) had an average wage significantly below the national average. Secondary school teachers in the remaining five areas for which data were available earned wages that were not measurably different from the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the New York State Department of Labor and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OES data available from BLS include cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the nation; over 650 areas, including states and the District of Columbia, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), metropolitan divisions, nonmetropolitan areas, and territories; national industry-specific estimates at the NAICS sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industry levels; and national estimates by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.

OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Each year, two semiannual panels of approximately 200,000 sampled establishments are contacted, one panel in May and the other in November. Responses are obtained by mail, Internet or other electronic means, email, telephone, or personal visit. The May 2017 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2017, November 2016, May 2016, November 2015, May 2015, and November 2014. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 72 percent based on establishments and 68 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted sampled employment of 82 million across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 58 percent of total national employment. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm.

The May 2017 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Information about the 2010 SOC is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/soc and information about the 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

Metropolitan area definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

• Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties in New York.
• Binghamton, N.Y. MSA includes Broome and Tioga Counties in New York.
• Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Erie and Niagara Counties in New York.
• Elmira, N.Y. MSA includes Chemung County in New York.
• Glens Falls, N.Y. MSA includes Warren and Washington Counties in New York.
• Ithaca, N.Y. MSA includes Tompkins County in New York.
• Kingston, N.Y. MSA includes Ulster County in New York.
• New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. MSA includes the following:
  • Dutchess County-Putnam County, N.Y. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Dutchess and Putnam Counties in New York.
  • Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y. MD includes Nassau and Suffolk Counties in New York.
  • New York-Jersey City-White Plains, N.Y.-N.J. MD includes Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic Counties in New Jersey; and Bronx, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, and Westchester Counties in New York.
  • Newark, N.J.-Pa. MD includes Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Union Counties in New Jersey; and Pike County in Pennsylvania.
• Rochester, N.Y. MSA includes Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne, and Yates Counties in New York.
• Syracuse, N.Y. MSA includes Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego Counties in New York.
• Utica-Rome, N.Y. MSA includes Herkimer and Oneida Counties in New York.
• Watertown-Fort Drum, N.Y. MSA includes Jefferson County in New York.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.