Special Education Teacher: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

Median pay

$74,260

BLS May 2025

Employed in the U.S.

163,930

BLS May 2025

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Most common education

Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree (about equal)

42% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Special Education Teachers, Secondary School (O*NET-SOC 25-2058.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
2. Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
3. Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
4. Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
5. Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
6. Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
7. Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
8. Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.

Telework available

less than 0.5%

of workers had the ability to telework

Workday sitting

43.8%

mean share of the day required to sit

Most common strength level

Light

67.3% of workers

Can pause work

22.3%

of workers could take short, unscheduled breaks

Self-paced workload

7.8%

of workers set their own workload

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey. Estimates are preliminary; ranges are shown as published.

1. Educational services; state, local, and private97.6% of all jobs in this occupation · -0.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $77,310
2. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals0.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $77,600
3. Nursing and residential care facilities0.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +6.0% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $67,370
4. Social assistance0.2% of all jobs in this occupation · -0.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $78,370
5. Hospitals; state, local, and private0.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $73,230

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Knowledge areas: Education and Training, English Language, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Administrative.

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Also called: Education Specialist, Emotional Disability Special Education Teacher (ED SPED Teacher), Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher), Handicapped Teacher, HS SPED Teacher (High School Special Education Teacher), Learning Disabilities Special Education Teacher (LD Special Education Teacher).