The Future Career Outlook for Special Education Teachers

Opportunities across education and schools are rapidly growing, and special education is expanding along with it to make learning more accessible. The number of students identified with special education intervention needs is increasing, as is the staffing shortage across school systems. These trends are pointing to a significant need for quality school professionals to enter the field of special education.

Who Works in Special Education?

Special education encompasses a wide range of healthcare and education professionals who work together to support students with disabilities and learning differences. These professionals include special education teachers, paraprofessionals, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, school psychologists, and behavior specialists.

In special education, collaboration among these professionals is key to providing comprehensive support to students with special needs and ensuring their success in school. Many of the responsibilities of special education professionals are evolving quickly to keep up with changes in educational systems, technology advancements, and inclusivity practices. 

What Does a Special Education Teacher Do?

The primary responsibility of a special education teacher is to educate students with learning differences. They work closely with students who experience challenges in a regular classroom setting and use strategies tailored to individual needs to help students succeed. Their responsibilities include developing individual education programs (IEPs), assessing student performance, collaborating with parents and other professionals, and more.

Students ranging from preschool through high school need special education teachers as a resource. Public and private school students with diverse learning needs work closely with special education professionals. These diverse needs can range from mild/moderate needs to moderate/severe disabilities.

Skills Needed for the Job

A special education teacher needs to have strong character traits as an advocate for students with diverse needs. Some of the qualities necessary in an effective special education teacher include:

• Champion of inclusivity: Special education teachers see a spectrum of differences and diverse abilities across students and work to bring students together. Their ability to truly see and include others is imperative to serving their student populations.
• Advocate for individual education programs (IEPs): Professionals in special education will work closely with IEPs for each student to help them meet goals and make individualized progress. Awareness of individual growth and efforts is an important part of tailoring education experiences for diverse student populations.
• Caring: Creating a collaborative and inclusive environment takes care and energy. Being an energetic source of inclusion and motivation is an important part of working in special education, and students will often depend on your compassion and dedication.
• Collaborative: As a special education teacher, you will often be the bridge between parents, students, and the school system. Collaborating with each of these parties to help students grow and meet goals will be a large part of your responsibility. An ability to collaborate well and consider different perspectives is an important part of working in special education.

Special Education Teacher Pay

In May of 2023, the median annual wage for special education teachers was $65,910. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top ten percent of special education (typically those with significant experience or a graduate degree) earned an average of $98,530 in 2019. The salaries of special education teachers do not vary greatly across age groups, with preschool, elementary, middle, and high school professionals all earning relatively similar salaries.

Top Reasons to Work in Special Education

Many special education teachers report their career as a challenging but highly rewarding profession. Helping students overcome unique challenges is a fulfilling career, with meaningful relationships and achievements. Here are a few of the other benefits of working as a special education teacher:

Impacting Student Lives

Special education teachers can help students with disabilities, disorders, or delays learn and develop tools to help them learn in the best way for their situation. This development can shape a student’s life in meaningful ways and offer a significant feeling of personal fulfillment on both the teacher and student side of the experience. 

Helping students conquer challenges takes a constant effort of creativity, and this can be another rewarding part of working with students as a special education teacher. Some student relationships last years in special education rather than a one-year grade-level experience, providing meaningful and fulfilling relationships and an opportunity to follow a student’s progress.

Employment Stability

Certifications in special education can open the door to a variety of opportunities in school and community settings, all in a field with steady job demand and increasing employment opportunities. Special education degrees may qualify professionals for work in not just school settings but also nonprofit positions, casework, or management. The positions are also in such high demand that many organizations make it easy to transfer experience or cross state lines with credentials and job qualifications.

Family Partnerships

When managing a child’s academic experience, many special education teachers work closely with parents and families, and often for extended amounts of time. As an advocate for students and caregivers, you can experience equipping families with valuable tools to navigate their unique situations. You will be a resource and bridge to support groups and resources that will greatly impact children and families on their unique education path.

Career Growth Opportunities in Special Education 

The special education career outlook is excellent and continually growing. Staffing shortages are occurring across healthcare and education is seeing a similar trend. In October 2023, USA Today reported that 86 percent of public schools had educator positions that they needed to fill. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career outlook for special education jobs should continue to be steady in 2024 with an increase of 6%, the national average for job growth in the U.S.

SHC Supports Special Education Professionals

Providing quality care across healthcare and school specialties is Supplemental Health Care’s top priority and we support the important work that special education providers offer to students. Our dedicated team works constantly to secure top opportunities and support our teachers and other school professionals.
Search our jobs today to find your next position, or reach out to our Schools Centers of Excellence team to learn more about the variety of school positions available through SHC. Our expert team provides the support you need to help you focus on career growth and student success.