Special Education Teachers, Middle School: Career Overview
Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.
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What Tasks Do Special Education Teachers, Middle School Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of special education teachers, middle school include:
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
- Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
What Special Education Teachers, Middle School Need to Know
Top special education teachers, middle school rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Special Education Teachers, Middle School Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Blind Teacher
- Braille Teacher
- DHOH Teacher (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher)
- Deaf Teacher
- EBD SPED Teacher (Emotional-Behavioral Disabilities Special Education Teacher)
- ED SPED Teacher (Emotional Disabilities Special Education Teacher)
- Early Intervention Specialist
- Emotionally Impaired Teacher
How Many Special Education Teachers, Middle School Are There?
The U.S. employs around 872,341 special education teachers, middle school working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +4.8% over the projection horizon.
Special Education Teachers, Middle School Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $80,694 |
| Hourly median | $38.80 |
| 10th percentile | $52,311 |
| 25th percentile | $66,503 |
| 75th percentile | $94,885 |
| 90th percentile | $109,076 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Special Education Teachers, Middle School Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $99,270 |
| Washington | $95,440 |
| New York | $91,280 |
| Rhode Island | $89,840 |
| Massachusetts | $85,020 |
| Connecticut | $83,010 |
| Oregon | $78,360 |
| Alaska | $78,000 |
| District of Columbia | $77,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,610 |
| New Jersey | $77,500 |
| Maryland | $76,550 |
| New Mexico | $75,940 |
| Delaware | $74,740 |
| Utah | $73,640 |
| Illinois | $71,790 |
| Ohio | $71,320 |
| Maine | $68,860 |
| Georgia | $67,710 |
| Montana | $63,990 |
| Virginia | $63,730 |
| Nebraska | $63,020 |
| Colorado | $62,680 |
| Wisconsin | $61,990 |
| Texas | $61,920 |
| Michigan | $61,760 |
| Wyoming | $61,760 |
| New Hampshire | $61,730 |
| Minnesota | $60,940 |
| South Carolina | $60,910 |
| Alabama | $60,760 |
| Vermont | $59,620 |
| Arizona | $59,610 |
| Iowa | $59,490 |
| Florida | $59,410 |
| North Dakota | $59,340 |
| North Carolina | $58,000 |
| Hawaii | $57,860 |
| Kansas | $57,620 |
| Idaho | $57,580 |
| Indiana | $56,730 |
| Puerto Rico | $56,090 |
| Tennessee | $55,510 |
| Kentucky | $54,430 |
| Louisiana | $54,060 |
| Arkansas | $53,660 |
| Missouri | $53,410 |
| Nevada | $51,430 |
| Oklahoma | $49,970 |
| Mississippi | $49,760 |
| South Dakota | $49,330 |
| West Virginia | $47,050 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for special education teachers, middle school vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $94,641 | 10.1% | 0.62 |
| Middle Atlantic | $82,257 | 21.4% | 1.62 |
| New England | $78,579 | 6.2% | 1.37 |
| Great Lakes | $68,366 | 15.5% | 1.34 |
| Rocky Mountains | $64,858 | 3.7% | 1.00 |
| Southwest | $61,887 | 15.6% | 1.41 |
| Southeast | $59,823 | 20.2% | 1.02 |
| Plains States | $58,831 | 6.2% | 0.99 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Special Education Teachers, Middle School
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro, CA | CA | $110,070 | 50 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $107,110 | 850 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $106,690 | 490 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $104,590 | 490 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $103,850 | 770 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $100,540 | 60 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | WA | $99,390 | 50 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $99,390 |
Which Industries Hire Special Education Teachers, Middle School
The bulk of special education teachers, middle school work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 95,030 | n/a |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 70 | n/a |
Below are examples of industries where special education teachers, middle school work:
Tools and Technology
- Operating system software: Apple macOS (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)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of special education teachers, middle school tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Conflict Situations
- Physical Proximity
Education and Training
Typical special education teachers, middle school positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- School Psychologists (Supplemental)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education (Supplemental)
- Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Long)
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education (Primary-Long)
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Primary-Long)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School (Supplemental)
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Aspiring special education teachers, middle school commonly pursue 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: 25-2057.00 (Special Education Teachers, Middle School).
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