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

What is a self contained special education teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Chris Craig

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a self contained special education teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.25 an hour? That's $50,448 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 self contained special education teacher?

Chris Craig

Deputy Provost, Missouri State University

Need to be a strong advocate during COVID 19, as the general approach that has been proposed by school districts during the reopening creates unique challenges for children with disabilities and their families. More than ever, I need to thoroughly understand the role of the family, as a partner, in meeting milestones leading to a successful transition and employment/post-secondary education.

ScoreSelf Contained Special Education TeacherUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,448

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 4%

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 73.68%

male 26.32%

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 self contained special education teacher

Explore self contained special education teacher education requirements

Most common self contained special education teacher degrees

Bachelor's

65.0 %

Master's

30.0 %

High School Diploma

2.5 %

Start to develop specific self contained special education teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Classroom Management	54.09%
IEP	34.26%
Social Studies	11.64%

Research self contained special education teacher duties and responsibilities

Participate and attend all IEP meetings.
Administer individualized instruction in reading and math to students in special education and general education as a push-in and pull-out instructor.
Implement, formulate, and update FBA and BIP

Prepare your self contained special education teacher resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your self contained 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 self contained 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 self contained special education teacher resume templates

Build a professional self contained 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 self contained special education teacher resume.

Apply for self contained special education teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a self contained 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 self contained special education teachers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Self contained 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 self contained special education teacher and how to become one

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

Self contained special education teacher career paths

Key steps to become a self contained special education teacher

Explore self contained special education teacher education requirements

Most common self contained special education teacher degrees

Start to develop specific self contained special education teacher skills

Research self contained special education teacher duties and responsibilities

Prepare your self contained special education teacher resume

Choose from 10+ customizable self contained special education teacher resume templates

Apply for self contained special education teacher jobs

How did you land your first self contained special education teacher job

Average self contained special education teacher salary

How do self contained special education teachers rate their job?

Self contained special education teacher reviews