How to hire an early childhood special educator

How to hire an early childhood special educator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step early childhood special educator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an early childhood special educator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new early childhood special educator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an early childhood special educator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the early childhood special educator you need to hire. Certain early childhood special educator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect early childhood special educator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of early childhood special educator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Early Childhood Special Educator	Description	Hourly rate
   Early Childhood Special Educator	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. They adapt general education lessons and teach various subjects, such as reading, writing, and math, to students with mild and moderate disabilities... Show more	$11-27
   Pre-K Teacher	Pre-K teachers play an essential role in the lives of young children ages three to five years old by developing and nurturing their interest in subjects appropriate for their age. They promote a creative learning environment and encourage social interactions among students while providing the fundamental educational foundation that will prepare them for a successful start to kindergarten... Show more	$13-27
   Teacher	Being a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world... Show more	$15-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Autism
   • Classroom Management
   • CPR
   • Child Development
   • IEP
   • Child Care
   • Kindergarten
   • Early Intervention
   • Kids
   • Learning Environment
   • Ecse
   • Professional Development
   • IFSP
   • Classroom Environment

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Adapted/Individualize curriculum base on individual student needs, including all need self-help skills.
   • Develop IEP objectives consistent with daily instruction as provided, base on developmentally appropriate activities.

   More early childhood special educator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your early childhood special educator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An early childhood special educator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, early childhood special educators' average salary in florida is 32% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level early childhood special educators earn 60% less than senior-level early childhood special educators.
   • Certifications. An early childhood special educator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an early childhood special educator's salary.

   Average early childhood special educator salary

   $36,798yearly

   $17.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level early childhood special educator salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

   Average early childhood special educator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$42,669	$21
   2	Maryland	$41,579	$20
   3	Massachusetts	$41,130	$20
   4	District of Columbia	$40,999	$20
   5	Virginia	$40,897	$20
   6	New Hampshire	$40,368	$19
   7	Michigan	$39,720	$19
   8	Ohio	$39,179	$19
   9	Illinois	$38,306	$18
   10	Minnesota	$37,077	$18
   11	Missouri	$34,705	$17
   12	North Carolina	$33,658	$16
   13	California	$33,475	$16
   14	South Carolina	$32,718	$16
   15	Kansas	$31,861	$15
   16	Nevada	$31,727	$15
   17	Arizona	$31,288	$15
   18	Washington	$31,286	$15
   19	Idaho	$30,671	$15
   20	Colorado	$30,443	$15

   Average early childhood special educator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Baltimore City Public Schools	$65,408	$31.45	14
   2	Hawaii Pacific Health	$59,793	$28.75	9
   3	Chicago Public Schools	$48,946	$23.53	49
   4	Grand Ledge High School	$48,202	$23.17	6
   5	Los Angeles Unified School District	$47,880	$23.02
   6	Madera High School	$46,797	$22.50	11
   7	The City University of New York	$44,974	$21.62	16
   8	San Mateo County Office Of Education	$44,770	$21.52	1
   9	University of Colorado Boulder	$44,335	$21.31
   10	Carnegie Mellon University	$42,918	$20.63	9
   11	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$42,592	$20.48
   12	The Opportunity Alliance	$42,370	$20.37	6
   13	Cumberland County Schools	$42,076	$20.23
   14	Jefferson Elementary School District	$40,894	$19.66	4
   15	Rocky Mountain Prep	$40,632	$19.53	16
   16	Soliant	$40,416	$19.43
   17	Aspiranet	$38,592	$18.55	2
   18	Muckleshoot Casino	$38,140	$18.34	6
   19	Alexandria City Public Schools	$37,954	$18.25
   20	Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County	$37,804	$18.18	65

4. Writing an early childhood special educator job description

   A good early childhood special educator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an early childhood special educator job description:

   Early childhood special educator job description example

   Here at The Goddard School Manchester we are committed to working as a team. We believe in collaboration between teachers and supervisors. Our teacher’s creativity shines throughout the building. Each classroom truly reflects the personality of the teacher as they are able to make it their own and create a “homey” environment. Our teachers are given the freedom to create their own lesson plans that align with our developmental milestones and guidelines. We work hard to make our school a safe place where both our students and teachers enjoy spending their time. We have an open-door policy and we work hard to make sure every teacher is heard and valued. We have recently been announced as the Business of the Year 2019 in Manchester, MO. Come and see what makes us so great!

   Overview

   · We are looking for fun loving teachers who are passionate about education! Each teacher is a valued member of our staff and their creativity is welcomed throughout the classrooms. Come join our team today!

   · Full time employees are eligible for paid time off and health benefits, and all employees are eligible for annual reviews, wage increases, and promotional opportunities.

   Responsibilities

   · Writing and carrying out lesson plans that teach to a set of developmental goals

   · Provide individualized instruction to each student by promoting learning through play

   · Assess and record students’ progress and provide feedback to parents

   · Maintain a tidy and orderly classroom

   · Plan and execute educational in-class and outdoor activities and events

   · Develop and enrich professional skills and knowledge by attending staff meetings and professional development days

   Requirements

   · Experience in early childhood education

   · Knowledge of teaching best practices and legal educational guidelines partnered with a willingness to follow the school’s policies and procedures

   · Excellent communicability and interpersonal skills

   · Well-organized and committed

   · Creative and energetic

   · Strong moral values and discipline

   · Knowledge of CPR

   · Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or related field (Lead Teacher)

   · College coursework in early childhood education or related field (Assistant Teacher)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find early childhood special educators for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any early childhood special educators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level early childhood special educators with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your early childhood special educator job on Zippia to find and recruit early childhood special educator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit early childhood special educators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new early childhood special educator

   Once you've decided on a perfect early childhood special educator candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an early childhood special educator?