How To Become A Primary Special Education Teacher: What It Is and Career Path

What is a primary special education teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted experts

Patricia Rogan Ph.D.,

Tara Kirton

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a primary special education teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.88 an hour? That's $57,990 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 20,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a primary special education teacher?

Patricia Rogan Ph.D.

Professor, Special Education/Urban Teacher Education, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

Education graduates should work to stand out in the crowd during their Student Teaching experiences and make connections with school administrators. After graduation, they should tap all possible personal/professional contacts for job leads, stay in touch with their university faculty, and NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. Our grads should interview schools as much as schools are interviewing them, so they find the right fit. Education graduates should remember that when they are interviewing and seeking employment, they should be asking questions that are important to them and align with their teaching values. It may make sense to take a short-term appointment (e.g., for maternity leave) in order to get a foot in the door in a district in which the graduate would like to work.

ScorePrimary Special Education TeacherUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,990

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 3.45%

Black or African American 9.44%

Hispanic or Latino 11.62%

Unknown 3.96%

White 71.16%

Gender

female 70.49%

male 29.51%

Age - 42

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 - 42

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a primary special education teacher

Explore primary special education teacher education requirements

Most common primary special education teacher degrees

Bachelor's

63.0 %

Master's

35.2 %

Diploma

1.9 %

Start to develop specific primary special education teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Autism	22.43%
IEP	21.96%
Progress Monitoring	18.55%
Classroom Presentations	15.29%
Math	11.71%

Research primary special education teacher duties and responsibilities

Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.
Implement lesson plans in basic academics (math, English, science).
Administer individualized instruction in reading and math to students in special education and general education as a push-in and pull-out instructor.
Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.

Prepare your primary special education teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your primary special education teacher 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 primary special education teacher resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable primary special education teacher resume templates

Build a professional primary special education teacher 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 primary special education teacher resume.

Apply for primary special education teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a primary special education teacher 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 do primary special education teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Primary special education teacher reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023

Pros

The kids light up my days.

Cons

The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Pros

You got to work with learners who will love you unconditionally. It gives a great satisfaction to be able to help them. I love learners with Special Needs and I am a Mom of one.

Cons

I can't say, maybe because there is none.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021

Cons

Parents, paperwork, lack of resources, anxiety, not being compensated

Pros

My students

What is a primary special education teacher and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a primary special education teacher?

Primary special education teacher career paths

Key steps to become a primary special education teacher

Explore primary special education teacher education requirements

Most common primary special education teacher degrees

Start to develop specific primary special education teacher skills

Research primary special education teacher duties and responsibilities

Prepare your primary special education teacher resume

Choose from 10+ customizable primary special education teacher resume templates

Apply for primary special education teacher jobs

How did you land your first primary special education teacher job

Average primary special education teacher salary

How do primary special education teachers rate their job?

Primary special education teacher reviews