Special education aide demographics and statistics in the US
Special education aide demographics research summary. Zippia estimates special education aide demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our special education aide estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about special education aides after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 227,351 special education aides currently employed in the United States.
- 80.0% of all special education aides are women, while 20.0% are men.
- The average special education aide age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of special education aides is White (57.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.8%), Black or African American (9.1%) and Asian (8.1%).
- In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
- 6% of all special education aides are LGBT.
- Special education aides are 89% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Special education aide demographics by:
Special education aide gender statistics
80.0% of special education aides are women and 20.0% of special education aides are men.
- Female, 80.0%
- Male, 20.0%
Special education aide gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 80.0% |
| Male | 20.0% |
Special education aide gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$34,967
Female income
$33,144
Special education aide gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in special education aide positions over time. Currently, 80.0% of special education aides are female.
Special education aide gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.52% | 90.48% |
| 2011 | 10.65% | 89.35% |
| 2012 | 10.53% | 89.47% |
| 2013 | 11.56% | 88.44% |
| 2014 | 13.35% | 86.65% |
| 2015 | 13.59% | 86.41% |
| 2016 | 14.73% | 85.27% |
| 2017 | 12.77% | 87.23% |
| 2018 | 18.53% | 81.47% |
| 2019 | 19.58% | 80.42% |
| 2020 | 19.63% | 80.37% |
| 2021 | 19.99% | 80.01% |
Special education aide related jobs gender ratio
We compared special education aides with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, agriculture consultant and torque tester have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Toddler Teacher | 4% | 96% |
| Infant Teacher | 5% | 95% |
| Kindergarten Aide | 6% | 94% |
| Special Education Aide | 20% | 80% |
| Certified Performance Technologist | 79% | 21% |
| Torque Tester | 84% | 16% |
| Agriculture Consultant | 84% | 16% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Special education aide demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among special education aides is White, which makes up 57.4% of all special education aides. Comparatively, 19.8% of special education aides are Hispanic or Latino and 9.1% of special education aides are Black or African American.
- White, 57.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 19.8%
- Black or African American, 9.1%
- Asian, 8.1%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Special education aide race
| Special education aide race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 57.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.8% |
| Black or African American | 9.1% |
| Asian | 8.1% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Special education aide race and ethnicity over time
See how special education aide racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Special education aide race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64.92% | 10.14% | 4.78% | 17.27% |
| 2011 | 63.31% | 11.41% | 4.79% | 17.21% |
| 2012 | 63.29% | 10.82% | 4.81% | 17.89% |
| 2013 | 65.08% | 10.49% | 4.84% | 16.42% |
| 2014 | 63.09% | 10.66% | 5.33% | 17.62% |
| 2015 | 62.90% | 10.37% | 5.35% | 18.28% |
| 2016 | 62.37% | 9.90% | 5.42% | 18.45% |
| 2017 | 62.36% | 9.83% | 5.80% | 18.60% |
| 2018 | 60.62% | 9.42% | 7.67% | 18.90% |
| 2019 | 61.31% | 8.58% | 7.77% | 18.83% |
| 2020 | 58.64% | 8.84% | 8.17% | 19.15% |
| 2021 | 57.39% | 9.09% | 8.06% | 19.79% |
Special education aide wage gap by race
According to our data, asian special education aides have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White special education aides have the lowest average salary at $34,018.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,593 |
| White | $34,018 |
| Black or African American | $35,443 |
| Asian | $35,835 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,976 |
Average special education aide age
See how the average age of special education aides varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Special education aide age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 39.5 | 46 |
| Unknown | 31 | 44 |
| Asian | 30 | 45 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33 | 40 |
| White | 34 | 49 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 31.5 | 42 |
Special education aide age breakdown
The average age of special education aides is 40+ years years old, representing 62% of the special education aide population.
Special education aide age breakdown
| Special Education Aide Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 62% |
| 30-40 years | 19% |
| 20-30 years | 18% |
Special education aide educational attainment
The most common degree for special education aides is bachelor's degree, with 59% of special education aides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Special education aides by degree level
| Special education aide degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 59% |
| Associate | 20% |
| High School Diploma | 8% |
| Master's | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Special education aide jobs you might like
Special education aide wage gap by degree level
According to the data, special education aides with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $36,446 annually. With a Master's degree, special education aides earn a median annual income of $35,883 compared to $33,886 for special education aides with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,883 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,930 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,886 |
| Doctorate Degree | $36,446 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,227 |
Special education aide employment statistics
Most special education aides work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where special education aides work
Below, you can see the size of companies where special education aides work.
Special education aide jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 13% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 35% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 18% |
| > 10,000 employees | 4% |
Special education aide jobs by company type
Employees with the special education aide job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most special education aides prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Special education aide jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 89% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 6% |
| Government | 3% |
Special education aide jobs by industry
The most common industries for special education aides are education, government and professional.
Special education aide industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 87% |
| Government | 3% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Special education aide turnover and employment statistics
Special education aide unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for special education aides between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Special education aide unemployment rate by year
| Year | Special education aide unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.72% |
| 2011 | 6.98% |
| 2012 | 6.55% |
| 2013 | 5.97% |
| 2014 | 5.07% |
| 2015 | 4.04% |
| 2016 | 3.88% |
| 2017 | 3.84% |
| 2018 | 3.51% |
| 2019 | 3.20% |
| 2020 | 5.05% |
| 2021 | 5.11% |
Average special education aide tenure
The average special education aide stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,851 special education aides resumes in Zippia's database.
Special education aide tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Special education aide LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of special education aides that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Special Education Aide | 6.14% | - |
| Sixth Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 57,012 |
| Multimedia Services Coordinator | 10.75% | 63,060 |
| Early Childhood Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,487 |
| Computer Teacher | 12.94% | 66,072 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Farm Agent | 16.25% | 61,810 |
Similar special education aide jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sixth Grade Teacher | 9.52% | 57,012 |
| Multimedia Services Coordinator | 10.75% | 63,060 |
| Early Childhood Special Educator | 11.12% | 62,487 |
| Computer Teacher | 12.94% | 66,072 |
| Library Technician | 13.69% | 24,941 |
| Farm Agent | 16.25% | 61,810 |
Foreign languages spoken by special education aides
The most common foreign language among special education aides is Spanish at 63.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.3% and Italian is the third-most popular at 4.6%.
- Spanish, 63.6%
- French, 6.3%
- Italian, 4.6%
- German, 3.8%
- Portuguese, 2.9%
- Other, 18.8%
Special education aide languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 63.6% |
| French | 6.3% |
| Italian | 4.6% |
| German | 3.8% |
| Portuguese | 2.9% |
| Other | 18.8% |
