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What is an early childhood special educator and how to become one
An early childhood special educator is someone who works with young children who have developmental delays or disabilities. They specialize in designing and implementing educational programs that meet the unique needs of each child. Early childhood special educators work in a variety of settings, including public and private schools, childcare centers, and hospitals. Their goal is to help each child reach their full potential by providing them with the support and resources they need to succeed.
What general advice would you give to an early childhood special educator?
Andrew Pendola Ph.D.
Associate Professor | Program Coordinator, Auburn University Main Campus
Avg. Salary $36,798
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 4%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.38%
Asian 3.67%
Black or African American 9.29%
Hispanic or Latino 11.89%
Unknown 3.98%
White 70.80%
Genderfemale 92.93%
male 7.07%
Age - 42American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 42Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being an early childhood special educator?
Pros
Opportunity to make a positive impact on children's lives
Fulfilling and rewarding work
High demand for early childhood special educators
Chance to work with a variety of developmental disabilities and disorders
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Cons
Emotionally challenging work
Heavy workload and long hours
Dealing with bureaucracy and paperwork
Limited resources and funding for programs
High stress environment
Early childhood special educator career paths
Key steps to become an early childhood special educator
Explore early childhood special educator education requirements
Start to develop specific early childhood special educator skills
Skills Percentages Autism 8.97% Classroom Management 8.82% CPR 7.68% Child Development 5.56% IEP 5.29% Complete relevant early childhood special educator training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New early childhood special educators 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 an early childhood special educator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real early childhood special educator resumes.Research early childhood special educator duties and responsibilities
- Target at risk and high achieving students using levele readers and DRA strategies.
- Collaborate with other Pre-K teachers to plan and team-teach with a multicultural focus.
- Develop IFSP's design to promote students' educational, physical, or social needs.
- Assist in other classrooms as needed, from infants to pre-k, to help gain knowledge of children of all ages.
Prepare your early childhood special educator resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your early childhood special educator resume.
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Build a professional early childhood special educator 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 early childhood special educator resume.
Apply for early childhood special educator jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an early childhood special educator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first early childhood special educator job
Are you an early childhood special educator?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average early childhood special educator salary
The average early childhood special educator salary in the United States is $36,798 per year or $18 per hour. Early childhood special educator salaries range between $23,000 and $58,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do early childhood special educators rate their job?
Early childhood special educator reviews
The educational system is very flawed, poor administration who don’t put children and learning first but their own self-interests. I don’t like how many school systems have handled the pandemic, total disregard for safety.
Slow response to my quest for work as a value quick response for my result oriented mind.
The relationships built with children and their families.
Updated January 8, 2025
