Adapted Physical Education Specialists: Career Overview
Provide individualized physical education instruction or services to children, youth, or adults with exceptional physical needs due to gross motor developmental delays or other impairments.
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What Tasks Do Adapted Physical Education Specialists Do?
Typical responsibilities of adapted physical education specialists include:
- Adapt instructional techniques to the age and skill levels of students.
- Instruct students, using adapted physical education techniques, to improve physical fitness, gross motor skills, perceptual motor skills, or sports and game achievement.
- Provide individual or small groups of students with adapted physical education instruction that meets desired physical needs or goals.
- Provide students positive feedback to encourage them and help them develop an appreciation for physical education.
- Establish and maintain standards of behavior to create safe, orderly, and effective environments for learning.
- Provide adapted physical education services to students with intellectual disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury, orthopedic impairments, or other disabling condition.
- Assess students' physical progress or needs.
- Assist in screening or placement of students in adapted physical education programs.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective adapted physical education specialists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Adapted Physical Education Specialists Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Adapted Fitness Professional
- Adapted Physical Activity Specialist
- Adapted Physical Education Specialist (APE Specialist)
- Adapted Physical Education Teacher (Adapted PE Teacher)
- Adapted Physical Educator
- Adaptive Physical Education Specialist (Adaptive PE Specialist)
- Adaptive Physical Education Teacher (Adaptive PE Teacher)
- Adaptive Physical Educator
How Many Adapted Physical Education Specialists Are There?
The U.S. employs around 959,890 adapted physical education specialists working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.9% over the projection horizon.
Adapted Physical Education Specialists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $77,976 |
| Hourly median | $37.49 |
| 10th percentile | $43,818 |
| 25th percentile | $60,897 |
| 75th percentile | $95,056 |
| 90th percentile | $112,135 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Adapted Physical Education Specialists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $96,600 |
| California | $87,600 |
| New Mexico | $83,030 |
| Oregon | $81,470 |
| District of Columbia | $80,670 |
| Rhode Island | $76,600 |
| Michigan | $75,820 |
| Delaware | $75,710 |
| New Jersey | $74,790 |
| Massachusetts | $74,510 |
| Virginia | $72,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $69,480 |
| Maryland | $69,360 |
| Minnesota | $67,430 |
| Washington | $67,110 |
| Colorado | $66,660 |
| Idaho | $65,760 |
| Texas | $65,340 |
| Utah | $65,030 |
| Wisconsin | $64,690 |
| Tennessee | $64,490 |
| Kentucky | $63,240 |
| North Dakota | $63,110 |
| Indiana | $61,850 |
| Nevada | $61,810 |
| North Carolina | $61,730 |
| Iowa | $61,640 |
| Illinois | $61,360 |
| Georgia | $61,240 |
| South Carolina | $61,100 |
| Arizona | $59,880 |
| New Hampshire | $59,670 |
| Louisiana | $59,010 |
| Arkansas | $57,260 |
| Connecticut | $57,120 |
| Florida | $56,930 |
| Maine | $55,810 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,410 |
| Nebraska | $47,880 |
| Missouri | $47,770 |
| Ohio | $46,840 |
| Vermont | $45,240 |
| Alabama | $36,070 |
| Mississippi | $36,040 |
| West Virginia | $31,100 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for adapted physical education specialists differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $83,898 | 27.3% | 1.97 |
| Middle Atlantic | $83,016 | 16.0% | 1.48 |
| Great Lakes | $66,918 | 16.8% | 2.01 |
| Southwest | $65,947 | 9.2% | 0.94 |
| Rocky Mountains | $65,775 | 0.7% | 0.23 |
| New England | $63,221 | 8.0% | 2.49 |
| Southeast | $58,115 | 17.5% | 1.35 |
| Plains States | $58,047 | 2.6% | 0.54 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Adapted Physical Education Specialists
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $105,790 | 110 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $102,110 | 450 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $100,940 | 130 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $99,170 | 120 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $98,290 | 170 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $98,020 | 2,880 |
| Merced, CA | CA | $96,970 | 80 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $96,720 | 440 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of adapted physical education specialists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 31,550 | n/a |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,790 | n/a |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 380 | n/a |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 220 | n/a |
Adapted Physical Education Specialists work in the following industries:
Software Adapted Physical Education Specialists Use
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for adapted physical education specialists reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Physical Proximity
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Getting Started in This Career
Most adapted physical education specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- School Psychologists (Primary-Long)
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (Supplemental)
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (Supplemental)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School (Supplemental)
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Aspiring adapted physical education specialists typically earn programs in:
Education
13 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 25-2059.01 (Special Education Teachers, All Other).
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