How To Become A Disability Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a disability specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Terri Goddard

The disability specialist in a given surrounding helps uplift the quality of life of people with physical and mental disabilities. They run assessments with a focus on determining the nature and rigour of these disabilities. They are needed in places like schools, nursing homes, religious organizations, and human services agencies and receive the extra help necessary to utilize the facilities best.

To become a disability specialist, you require at least a bachelor's degree. And further, complete a master's degree in disability studies or disability management. Even though most disability specialists have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

According to per BLS report, disability specialists make an average salary of $46,125 per year or $22 per hour. It is said that the top earners make over $64,000 per year, while the bottom ones under $32,000. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience and skills.

What general advice would you give to a disability specialist?

Terri Goddard

Resource Development Manager, The Whole Person

I would recommend that any graduate looking for a position in non-profit understand what a CRM is and take some online courses to get familiar with the language. I think as the world changes and grows, being bi-lingual or knowing something like ASL would be an advantage.

ScoreDisability SpecialistUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,662

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.68%

Asian 6.76%

Black or African American 12.61%

Hispanic or Latino 17.65%

Unknown 4.73%

White 56.58%

Gender

female 76.28%

male 23.72%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a disability specialist

Explore disability specialist education requirements

Most common disability specialist degrees

Bachelor's

59.8 %

Associate

14.8 %

Master's

14.3 %

Start to develop specific disability specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	11.37%
Rehabilitation	10.72%
Developmental Disabilities	7.53%
Social Security Administration	4.88%
Mental Health	4.55%

Complete relevant disability specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New disability specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a disability specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real disability specialist resumes.

Research disability specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage programs dealing with TSG, COPA and enrollment.3.
Manage and maintain eight classrooms with twenty-one staff members and 102 EHS and HS children.2.
Track and manage HR/Payroll leave records; liaise with payroll to ensure accurate leave usage and balance.
Refer staff to disability case managers, vocational rehabilitation services or community resources.

Prepare your disability specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your disability specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a disability specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable disability specialist resume templates

Build a professional disability specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your disability specialist resume.