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What is a secondary school special ed teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a secondary school special ed teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.34 an hour? That's $50,625 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 13,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreSecondary School Special ED TeacherUS Average
Salary
4.0

Avg. Salary $50,625

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.9

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.33%

Asian 3.16%

Black or African American 5.98%

Hispanic or Latino 8.70%

Unknown 3.82%

White 78.02%

Gender

female 42.86%

male 57.14%

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
8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a secondary school special ed teacher

  1. Explore secondary school special ed teacher education requirements

    Most common secondary school special ed teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    73.5 %

    Master's

    14.7 %

    Certificate

    2.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific secondary school special ed teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Classroom Management53.86%
    Mathematics27.81%
    Chemistry18.33%
  3. Complete relevant secondary school special ed teacher training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New secondary school special ed teachers 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 secondary school special ed teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real secondary school special ed teacher resumes.
  4. Research secondary school special ed teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Lead debates with advance students on topics including globalization, economics, and political history.
    • Display excellent technical skills in preparing several creative and educational PowerPoint presentations per week to facilitate student learning.
    • Work cooperatively with classroom teachers to modify regular curricula as needed and assist special education students in co-taught classes with assignments.
  5. Prepare your secondary school special ed teacher resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your secondary school special ed 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 secondary school special ed 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 secondary school special ed teacher resume templates

    Build a professional secondary school special ed 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 secondary school special ed teacher resume.
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
    Secondary School Special ED Teacher Resume
  6. Apply for secondary school special ed teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a secondary school special ed teacher job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first secondary school special ed teacher job

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Average secondary school special ed teacher salary

The average secondary school special ed teacher salary in the United States is $50,625 per year or $24 per hour. Secondary school special ed teacher salaries range between $34,000 and $73,000 per year.

Average secondary school special ed teacher salary
$50,625 Yearly
$24.34 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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