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What is a special education itinerant teacher and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Lisa King Ph.D.,
Dr. Christian Wilkens Ph.D.

While most teachers stay in the same school or even the same classroom during the school year, others work in different schools or even visit students at home. These traveling educators are called itinerant teachers. Itinerant teachers who specialize in helping students with disabilities are called special education itinerant teachers, or SEITs.

A special education itinerant teacher usually works one-on-one with a student in need. They work with the child in the classroom and sometimes at home to build necessary academic, social, and behavioral skills, adjusting their teaching to the individual needs of each student. The special education itinerant teacher works with each student's classroom teacher, school administrators, and parents to fulfill their IEP.

It takes a lot of specialized knowledge in order to help students with disabilities, which is why the majority of special education itinerant teachers have master's degrees in special education or a related field. Above all, they need to have the patience and compassion to meet their students where they're at and to help them.

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

Lisa King Ph.D.

Associate Professor, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

I'd also remind graduates that careers are rarely set from the get-go, and not to be discouraged; a career can grow from unexpected opportunities and connections and sometimes it just takes time - or outlasting a pandemic. Careers in English and the humanities are just as important as others, even if media narratives frequently devalue them. Take advantage of the flexibility of your degree and training, build on it, and know the value of your skills. If we have learned anything from this pandemic it's that communication is crucial, and this is part of what you've been trained to do. The world needs you.
ScoreSpecial Education Itinerant TeacherUS Average
Salary
5.8

Avg. Salary $74,109

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.1

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 3.63%

Black or African American 9.45%

Hispanic or Latino 11.63%

Unknown 3.96%

White 70.96%

Gender

female 86.96%

male 13.04%

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

Special education itinerant teacher career paths

Key steps to become a special education itinerant teacher

  1. Explore special education itinerant teacher education requirements

    Most common special education itinerant teacher degrees

    Bachelor's

    47.4 %

    Master's

    47.0 %

    Associate

    4.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific special education itinerant teacher skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Autism14.00%
    Early Intervention13.09%
    OT9.43%
    Behavior Analysis8.83%
    ABA7.22%
  3. Research special education itinerant teacher duties and responsibilities

    • Work in collaboration with a team of PTs, OTs, and SLPs to achieve educational goals.
    • Direct teaching of ABA programs to EI and CPSE children with Autism/PDD in the home and preschool setting.
    • Use ABA discrete trial training with children on the autism spectrum in home-base setting
    • Attend IFSP and CPSE meetings to advocate for special education services for students.
  4. Prepare your special education itinerant teacher resume

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

    Build a professional special education itinerant 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 special education itinerant teacher resume.
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
    Special Education Itinerant Teacher Resume
  5. Apply for special education itinerant teacher jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a special education itinerant 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 special education itinerant teacher job

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Average special education itinerant teacher salary

The average special education itinerant teacher salary in the United States is $74,109 per year or $36 per hour. Special education itinerant teacher salaries range between $49,000 and $111,000 per year.

Average special education itinerant teacher salary
$74,109 Yearly
$35.63 hourly

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How do special education itinerant teachers rate their job?

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Special education itinerant teacher reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Cons

As a paraprofessional, you often get left out of Professional Development activities, vertical team meetings, etc. and have a limited capacity to influence educational decisions within the organization.

Pros

Helping students with various intellectual or behavior disabilities to be successful in the classroom and in life.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Cons

The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Cons

The pay, the lack of respect from others.


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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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