How to hire a reading specialist

How to hire a reading specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step reading specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a reading specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the reading specialist you need to hire. Certain reading specialist 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a reading specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a reading specialist that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of reading specialists.

   Type of Reading Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Reading Specialist	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	$20-36
   First Grade Teacher	First-grade teachers are the first instructors of children after they finished the kindergarten level. They play an essential role as children aged six to seven move to more structured learning... Show more	$17-31
   Special Education Itinerant Teacher	Primarily, special education itinerant teachers offer educational services in the preschool classroom or child's home. The teachers help teachers or families create school or home environments which promote learning and development... Show more	$23-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Language Arts
   • Student Learning
   • Assessment Data
   • K-8
   • Staff Development
   • Instructional Strategies
   • State Standards
   • Professional Development Workshops
   • K-12
   • Public Schools
   • Student Achievement
   • Instructional Materials
   • Classroom Management
   • Mathematics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist children on the autism spectrum academically and socially to achieve integration into a mainstream educational environment.
   • Coordinate and direct the annual drama production.
   • Provide direct services to the RTI students through the best guide reading practices.
   • Coordinate and execute all festive cultural events for families of students in grades k-12.
   • Organize school-wide educational events and activities specific to the needs of children with autism.
   • Review basics of writing essays, discussion of reading selection, and development of writing skills.

   More reading specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your reading specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A reading specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, reading specialists' average salary in indiana is 47% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level reading specialists earn 43% less than senior-level reading specialists.
   • Certifications. A reading specialist 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 a reading specialist's salary.

   Average reading specialist salary

   $57,978yearly

   $27.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level reading specialist salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated February 1, 2026

   Average reading specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$76,864	$37
   2	Massachusetts	$74,106	$36
   3	Maryland	$72,386	$35
   4	California	$72,095	$35
   5	District of Columbia	$69,873	$34
   6	New Jersey	$65,467	$31
   7	Oregon	$65,014	$31
   8	Pennsylvania	$62,804	$30
   9	Nevada	$58,464	$28
   10	Georgia	$57,214	$28
   11	New Hampshire	$55,151	$27
   12	North Dakota	$54,347	$26
   13	Colorado	$53,802	$26
   14	Illinois	$53,152	$26
   15	Missouri	$53,018	$25
   16	Texas	$51,228	$25
   17	New Mexico	$50,821	$24
   18	Ohio	$50,197	$24
   19	Michigan	$49,433	$24
   20	Arizona	$49,105	$24

   Average reading specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Central State University	$66,075	$31.77
   2	Eagle Academy Public Charter School	$62,972	$30.27
   3	Montgomery County Public Schools	$61,801	$29.71	3
   4	Maxim Healthcare Group	$61,567	$29.60
   5	Springfield City Library	$59,515	$28.61
   6	CAPITAL PREP HARBOR SCHOOL	$58,251	$28.01
   7	Miriam Foundation	$58,131	$27.95
   8	Columbia International University	$57,741	$27.76
   9	Saint Theresa School	$56,727	$27.27
   10	Apis	$56,681	$27.25
   11	Carbon Lehigh IU #21	$56,082	$26.96	1
   12	West Philadelphia Achievement Charter Elementary School	$56,001	$26.92
   13	Oxnard Union High School District	$55,397	$26.63
   14	Friendship Christian School	$55,037	$26.46	2
   15	Huntington Learning Center	$54,532	$26.22	6
   16	Pioneer Center	$54,355	$26.13
   17	PHMC	$54,277	$26.09
   18	Mystic Valley Regional Charter School	$52,802	$25.39
   19	Supportive Concepts for Families	$52,686	$25.33
   20	Voices College-Bound Language Academies	$52,585	$25.28

4. Writing a reading specialist job description

   A reading specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a reading specialist job description:

   Reading specialist job description example

   About Mastery:
   
   We believe educational inequity is the most pressing social problem facing our country and the civil rights issue of our day. Mastery exists to help solve this problem. Our ultimate goal is to create a model urban school district that serves all students with excellence. We are organized around one driving mission: All students learn the academic and personal skills they need to be truly prepared for postsecondary success and able to pursue their dreams. To fulfill this mission, we attend to the whole child - academically and emotionally - matching high expectations for students with high levels of support.
   
   Mastery Charter Schools is a nonprofit network of more than 24 schools serving over 14,000 students in Philadelphia and Camden. We are the largest turnaround school operator in the nation and have been lauded by President Obama and the US Department of Education for our ability to dramatically boost academic achievement in historically low-performing schools.
   
   We know neighborhood schools matter, all students deserve access to a great education, and the people in our buildings can grow and develop sustainably to make the biggest impact possible in this work.
   
   Mastery's Equity Vision:
   
   We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to achieving our mission.
   
   We strive to be an anti-racist school district that eliminates the inequities in academic achievement that limit our students' choices; that cultivates classrooms where every student is affirmed, supported, and held to high expectations; and that nurtures a diverse organization where students, staff, and families are valued, respected, and included.
   
   The Opportunity:
   
   Mastery Charter Schools is seeking dynamic and passionate reading specialists to help lead our urban school turn-around efforts in Philadelphia. Mastery teachers work to create a warm and welcoming school culture that is driven by student achievement, and are committed to outrageously high expectations and high support for students.
   Duties and Responsibilities:Implement Mastery's curriculum and utilize classroom routines and procedures with consistency Work with small groups of students on reading skills and strategies Develop rigorous lesson plans, homework assignments and assessments Work closely with school leaders to analyze student assessment data and use data to inform instruction Collaborate in grade level teams to discuss student work, share best practices, and ensure student mastery of standards Form and maintain relationships with students' families, including phone calls and conferences Participate in on-going professional development in the spirit of continuous improvement Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned by your supervisor/Principal
   Qualifications:Ability to adjust instructional strategies in order to reach year-end goals Receptiveness to feedback and a desire to continuously improveA strong sense of personal accountability for student achievementA belief that all students should be held to high standardsA positive attitude and a drive for personal excellence Outstanding instructional skills, including the ability to motivate and challenge students and maintain an orderly classroom environment
   Education and Experience:Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred Must have Reading Specialist certification Demonstrated expertise in subject area Classroom teaching experience in an urban school setting Documented experience using data-driven instruction to achieve significant student gains
   Physical Requirements:Standing, walking, sitting for long periods of time, speaking loudly and clearly, seeing and hearing things both near and far away, stooping, kneeling, fine finger and hand manipulation in use of a computer, chalkboard, dry erase board or projector.
   Mastery Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. We offer a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.
   
   UPDATE AS OF MAY 2022 - Please review Mastery's Health and Safety Plans here to learn about our approach to vaccination and testing as well as our response to COVID-19 for the 2021-22 school year. For ongoing positions, Mastery roles are designated as in-person, with regular on-site responsibilities, unless otherwise noted. As such, Employees must be able to support Mastery Schools' academic plan and business strategies on-site - at a Mastery campus - as required.
   
   Exceptions to this requirement will be considered on an individualized basis.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find reading specialists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your reading specialist job on Zippia to find and attract quality reading specialist candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with reading specialist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 reading specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the reading specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new reading specialist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 a reading specialist?