How to hire a special education instructor

How to hire a special education instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step special education instructor hiring guide:

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

What does a special education instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The special education instructor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A special education instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, special education instructors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of special education instructors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Special Education Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Education Instructor	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	$10-25
   Learning Support Teacher	Learning support teachers focus on offering out-of-school education to pupils who need additional help. Their duties include planning and implementing constructive teaching policies as well as collaborating with parents, other relevant professionals, and personnel... Show more	$11-23
   Resource Teacher	A Resource Teacher is responsible for providing curriculum support systems for students, teachers, and administrators. Another role of a Resource Teacher is to assist the class teacher and provide additional support for children with moderate learning difficulties.	$7-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Autism
   • Data Collection
   • ABA
   • Early Intervention
   • Professional Development
   • Kids
   • Mathematics
   • Developmental Delays
   • Language Arts
   • General Education Curriculum
   • Behavioral Disorders
   • English Language
   • Children Birth
   • K-12

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.
   • Assist classroom teacher in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics.
   • Supervise and assign personnel to meet daily ESE departmental objectives.
   • Facilitate college preparation and scholarship processes and teach remedial and intervention mathematics and strategic reading classes.
   • Administer individualized instruction in reading and math to students in special education and general education as a push-in and pull-out instructor.
   • Design and teach a study skills class for special education students in a pull-out setting.

   More special education instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your special education instructor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A special education instructor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, special education instructors' average salary in indiana is 55% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level special education instructors 61% less than senior-level special education instructors.
   • Certifications. A special education instructor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a special education instructor's salary.

   Average special education instructor salary

   $16.53hourly

   $34,380 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level special education instructor salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average special education instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$54,407	$26
   2	Massachusetts	$49,275	$24
   3	Pennsylvania	$45,846	$22
   4	Colorado	$44,367	$21
   5	Connecticut	$43,996	$21
   6	New York	$43,925	$21
   7	North Dakota	$43,011	$21
   8	Maryland	$41,848	$20
   9	Texas	$41,662	$20
   10	Illinois	$41,009	$20
   11	Michigan	$40,125	$19
   12	Nebraska	$38,149	$18
   13	Ohio	$37,760	$18
   14	Minnesota	$36,393	$18
   15	Florida	$35,770	$17
   16	South Dakota	$34,677	$17
   17	West Virginia	$34,638	$17
   18	Idaho	$34,470	$17
   19	New Mexico	$34,188	$16
   20	North Carolina	$34,175	$16

   Average special education instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Missouri State University	$72,596	$34.90	1
   2	City of Baltimore	$64,088	$30.81	4
   3	State of Colorado	$55,128	$26.50	22
   4	Frederick County	$54,874	$26.38	3
   5	Iowa Department of Transportation	$53,032	$25.50
   6	EPIC Academy	$50,343	$24.20
   7	PSEA	$50,107	$24.09	18
   8	Loyola Marymount University	$49,427	$23.76	9
   9	San Diego College of Continuing Education	$48,888	$23.50	11
   10	Albany Community Charter School	$48,462	$23.30
   11	Derby Public Schools	$47,690	$22.93	8
   12	Texas Tech University	$47,665	$22.92	60
   13	University of North Carolina	$47,319	$22.75	24
   14	Fayette County Public Schools	$46,046	$22.14	13
   15	City Of Miami	$44,962	$21.62	1
   16	Addison Trail High School	$44,217	$21.26	12
   17	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	$44,054	$21.18	8
   18	Ivy Tech Community College	$43,669	$20.99	52
   19	State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia	$43,321	$20.83	308
   20	Morton High School	$43,188	$20.76	14

4. Writing a special education instructor job description

   A special education instructor 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 special education instructor job description:

   Special education instructor job description example

   Facility: Lea County Correctional Facility
   
   Pay: $39,353.60 yr.
   
   Bonus (if applicable):
   
   Shift:
   
   Benefits: Employees working a normal work week (30 hours or more) will enjoy a competitive benefits package for an energized workforce with options for you and your family including:
   
   * Paid time off • Paid holidays • 401(k)
   * 401(k) matching • Health Insurance • Dental Insurance
   * Vision Insurance • Life Insurance • Flexible spending account
   * Health savings account • Tuition Reimbursement • Reduced tuition rates
   * Employee discount • Employee assistance program • Pet insurance
   * Disability Insurance • Paid training • Other benefits available
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer.
   
   Are you looking for a career you can feel good about? We hire only those that strive to do their best. By joining our family, you'll receive the honor and recognition that comes with working for the industry's global leader in evidenced based rehabilitation.
   
   Who We Are:
   
   GEO provides complementary, turnkey solutions for numerous government partners worldwide across a spectrum of diversified correctional and community reentry services. From the development of state-of-the-art facilities and the provision of management services and evidence-based rehabilitation to the post-release reintegration and supervision of individuals in the community, GEO offers fully diversified, cost-effective services that deliver enhanced quality and improved outcomes.
   
   Why Work for GEO:
   
   * At GEO, we believe that diversity in our workforce and the inclusion of a variety of views, perspectives, and backgrounds are integral parts of our company's success.
   * We believe that work is more than a place you go every day. It is about being inspired and motivated to achieve extraordinary things.
   * Employee benefits play an important role in making The GEO Group a great place to work. At GEO, we believe in the three pillars of employee wellbeing: physical, emotional, and financial. With comprehensive benefits and competitive wages, we trust that you will find all the resources you need here to be successful.
   
   Job Summary:
   
   Maintains a classroom environment that facilitates the teaching of Adult Basic Education, English Language Development, and Special Education and basic subjects required to pass the GED or equivalent examination. Teaches one or more subjects including, but not limited to reading, mathematics, and language arts.
   
   Primary Duties and Responsibilities
   
   * Provides classroom instruction in the areas of basic education subjects including career planning, social adjustment, and general life skills information.
   * May instruct conversational English, and ideas and customs in English to students with limited English proficiency.
   * Maintains records including testing, daily inmate/detainee work, attendance and general record keeping.
   * Evaluates and maintains inmate/detainee academic progress.
   * Provides individual tutoring.
   * Performs other duties as assigned.
   
   Job Requirements
   
   Minimum Requirements
   
   * Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required.
   * Two (2) years of relevant teaching experience preferred.
   * Valid teaching certificate from the state Department of Education or comparable authority required.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right special education instructor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit special education instructors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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 special education instructor

   Once you've decided on a perfect special education instructor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new special education instructor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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 special education instructor?