Occupations · Educational Instruction and Library

Special Education Teachers, Secondary School

Teach academic, social, and life skills to secondary 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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 25-2058.00

$69,590median annual wage, May 2024

162,780people employed, United States

▼ 1.6%projected change, 2024→2034

11,100openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 13% between 2019 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$99,410	16,090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$80,840	6,940
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$78,900	5,320
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$103,150	4,070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$81,570	3,940
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$76,390	3,120
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$81,900	2,980
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$64,330	2,510
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$75,580	2,360
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$66,420	2,220
Columbus, OH	$63,380	2,030
Cleveland, OH	$76,360	1,970

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
Teach personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.
Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and technologies.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Learning Strategies4.1

Speaking4.0

Reading Comprehension4.0

Writing3.9

Monitoring3.9

Active Listening3.9

Critical Thinking3.8

Active Learning3.4

Mathematics2.6

Science1.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Adobe Acrobat●Adobe Illustrator●Adobe InDesign●Adobe Photoshop●Facebook●Microsoft Access●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft SharePoint●Microsoft Word●Email softwareHand held spell checkersScreen magnification softwareScreen reader softwareText to speech softwareVideo editing softwareVoice activated softwareWeb browser software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

4 / 5Considerable preparation — a four-year degree plus several years in the field.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets−1.7 below average

Public Speaking+1.6 above average

Conflict Situations+1.4 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.2 below average

Level of Competition−1.1 below average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment−1.1 below average

Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities+1.0 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Bachelor's Degree42%

Master's Degree42%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.15%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)0%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Social7.0

Investigative3.8

Artistic3.8

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Monitor students using personal electronics or school-issued technology.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Instructing4.1

Social Perceptiveness3.9

Coordination3.9

Service Orientation3.9

Time Management3.8

Complex Problem Solving3.8

Judgment and Decision Making3.6

Systems Evaluation3.0

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Education and TrainingEnglish LanguagePsychologyCustomer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingAdministrative

Abilities it leans on

Problem SensitivitySpeech ClarityOral ExpressionOral ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningInductive Reasoning

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

TeacherDeaf TeacherBlind TeacherBraille TeacherResource TeacherSpecial EducatorInclusion TeacherReading SpecialistTransition TeacherResource SpecialistLip Reading TeacherLife Skills TeacherLearning SpecialistHandicapped Teacher

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2020

Comparing O*NET release 25.1 (2020-11-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 4

+Adobe Acrobat+Adobe InDesign+Adobe Photoshop+Adobe Illustrator

No longer listed 5

−Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop−Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator−Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign−Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat−Word processing software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

TeacherDeaf TeacherBlind TeacherBraille TeacherSpecial EducatorResource TeacherInclusion TeacherReading SpecialistTransition TeacherHandicapped TeacherHigh School TeacherLearning Specialist

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
special educational needs teacher secondary school	2352.1.6	exact
special educational needs itinerant teacher	2352.1.4	close
learning support teacher	2352.1.3	close
special educational needs assistant	5312.4	close
special educational needs teacher	2352.1	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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