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

What is a severe disabilities special education teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Marija Čolić

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a severe disabilities special education teacher. For example, did you know that they make an average of $45.45 an hour? That's $94,545 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 13,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

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

Dr. Marija Čolić

Assistant Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa

People love being SPED teachers because of the profound impact they can have on students' lives. Watching students make progress, achieve their goals, and seeing the joy this brings to their families is incredibly rewarding. The profession offers a sense of purpose and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference every day.

ScoreSevere Disabilities Special Education TeacherUS Average

Salary

7.4

Avg. Salary $94,545

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 79.31%

male 20.69%

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 severe disabilities special education teacher

Explore severe disabilities special education teacher education requirements

Most common severe disabilities special education teacher degrees

Bachelor's

64.0 %

Master's

28.0 %

High School Diploma

4.0 %

Start to develop specific severe disabilities special education teacher skills

Skills	Percentages
Autism	35.57%
IEPs	29.34%
Public Schools	27.37%
ABA	4.86%
Applied Behavior Analysis	1.50%

Complete relevant severe disabilities special education teacher training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New severe disabilities special education 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 severe disabilities special education teacher based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real severe disabilities special education teacher resumes.

Research severe disabilities special education teacher duties and responsibilities

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 severe disabilities special education teacher resume

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

Build a professional severe disabilities 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 severe disabilities special education teacher resume.

Apply for severe disabilities special education teacher jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a severe disabilities 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

Average severe disabilities special education teacher salary

The average severe disabilities special education teacher salary in the United States is $94,545 per year or $45 per hour. Severe disabilities special education teacher salaries range between $64,000 and $139,000 per year.

Average severe disabilities special education teacher salary

$94,545 Yearly

$45.45 hourly

How do severe disabilities special education teachers rate their job?

What is a severe disabilities special education teacher and how to become one

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

Key steps to become a severe disabilities special education teacher

Explore severe disabilities special education teacher education requirements

Most common severe disabilities special education teacher degrees

Start to develop specific severe disabilities special education teacher skills

Complete relevant severe disabilities special education teacher training and internships

Research severe disabilities special education teacher duties and responsibilities

Prepare your severe disabilities special education teacher resume

Choose from 10+ customizable severe disabilities special education teacher resume templates

Apply for severe disabilities special education teacher jobs

How did you land your first severe disabilities special education teacher job

Average severe disabilities special education teacher salary

How do severe disabilities special education teachers rate their job?