Also called: SPED teacher, Resource room teacher, Inclusion teacher
Teaches students with learning, emotional, physical, or intellectual disabilities, adapting lessons to each student.
Special ed teachers might co-teach a math class in the morning, work with a small reading group, then write IEP progress reports and meet with parents. Each student has different goals. There's a nationwide shortage, so jobs are plentiful.
BLS special education teachers, May 2024 estimate.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in special education and a state special education license.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Special Education, Elementary Education, Psychology.
Growing slowly (about 0% over 10 years). BLS projects little or no change, but severe shortages create many openings.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps draft IEP paperwork and adapt lessons; teaching students with different disabilities face to face stays human and in demand.
Classes: Psychology, Child development CTE class, ASL or Spanish.
Official data: O*NET occupation 25-2050.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.