Special education teacher demographics and statistics in the US
Special education teacher demographics research summary. Zippia estimates special education teacher demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our special education teacher 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 teachers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 667,914 special education teachers currently employed in the United States.
- 75.4% of all special education teachers are women, while 24.6% are men.
- The average special education teacher age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of special education teachers is White (71.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.6%), Black or African American (9.4%) and Unknown (4.0%).
- Special education teachers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for special education teachers.
- 8% of all special education teachers are LGBT.
On this page
Special education teacher demographics by:
Special education teacher gender statistics
75.4% of special education teachers are women and 24.6% of special education teachers are men.
- Female, 75.4%
- Male, 24.6%
Special education teacher gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 75.4% |
| Male | 24.6% |
Special education teacher gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$48,829
Female income
$47,928
Special education teacher gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in special education teacher positions over time. Currently, 75.4% of special education teachers are female.
Special education teacher gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 22.09% | 77.91% |
| 2011 | 18.99% | 81.01% |
| 2012 | 22.33% | 77.67% |
| 2013 | 20.13% | 79.87% |
| 2014 | 20.63% | 79.37% |
| 2015 | 21.38% | 78.62% |
| 2016 | 21.55% | 78.45% |
| 2017 | 21.61% | 78.39% |
| 2018 | 22.36% | 77.64% |
| 2019 | 21.48% | 78.52% |
| 2020 | 24.73% | 75.27% |
| 2021 | 24.60% | 75.40% |
Special education teacher related jobs gender ratio
We compared special education teachers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, auto collision repair instructor and automotive technology instructor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Child Development Associate Teacher | 3% | 97% |
| Prekindergarten Teacher | 5% | 95% |
| Infant And Toddler Teacher | 5% | 95% |
| Special Education Teacher | 25% | 75% |
| Automotive Instructor | 96% | 4% |
| Automotive Technology Instructor | 96% | 4% |
| Auto Collision Repair Instructor | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Special education teacher demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among special education teachers is White, which makes up 71.1% of all special education teachers. Comparatively, 11.6% of special education teachers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.4% of special education teachers are Black or African American.
- White, 71.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.6%
- Black or African American, 9.4%
- Unknown, 4.0%
- Asian, 3.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Special education teacher race
| Special education teacher race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 71.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.6% |
| Black or African American | 9.4% |
| Unknown | 4.0% |
| Asian | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Special education teacher race and ethnicity over time
See how special education teacher racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Special education teacher race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.08% | 11.13% | 2.16% | 9.32% |
| 2011 | 74.06% | 11.36% | 2.44% | 9.59% |
| 2012 | 75.42% | 9.75% | 2.66% | 9.89% |
| 2013 | 76.14% | 10.14% | 2.57% | 8.58% |
| 2014 | 73.29% | 11.01% | 3.24% | 9.86% |
| 2015 | 72.98% | 11.09% | 2.79% | 10.39% |
| 2016 | 72.65% | 10.63% | 2.90% | 10.54% |
| 2017 | 72.43% | 10.23% | 3.22% | 11.24% |
| 2018 | 73.37% | 9.24% | 3.16% | 11.55% |
| 2019 | 75.39% | 9.89% | 2.60% | 9.85% |
| 2020 | 72.28% | 9.52% | 3.19% | 10.75% |
| 2021 | 71.14% | 9.36% | 3.61% | 11.55% |
Special education teacher wage gap by race
According to our data, asian special education teachers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american special education teachers have the lowest average salary at $47,733.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $48,621 |
| White | $47,915 |
| Black or African American | $47,733 |
| Asian | $50,597 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $49,335 |
Average special education teacher age
See how the average age of special education teachers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Special education teacher age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 42 | 47 |
| Unknown | 36 | 40 |
| Asian | 47 | 42.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 40 | 41 |
| White | 42 | 42 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 42 |
Special education teacher age breakdown
The average age of special education teachers is 40+ years years old, representing 58% of the special education teacher population.
Special education teacher age breakdown
| Special Education Teacher Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 58% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Special education teacher educational attainment
The most common degree for special education teachers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of special education teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 27% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Special education teachers by degree level
| Special education teacher degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 66% |
| Master's | 27% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Doctorate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Special education teacher jobs you might like
Special education teacher wage gap by degree level
According to the data, special education teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $62,601 annually. With a Master's degree, special education teachers earn a median annual income of $62,133 compared to $52,622 for special education teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,133 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,622 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,601 |
Special education teacher employment statistics
Most special education teachers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where special education teachers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where special education teachers work.
Special education teacher jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 22% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 28% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Special education teacher jobs by company type
Employees with the special education teacher job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most special education teachers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Special education teacher jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 84% |
| Public | 1% |
| Private | 8% |
| Government | 7% |
Special education teacher jobs by industry
The most common industries for special education teachers are education, government and professional.
Special education teacher industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 83% |
| Government | 7% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Special education teacher turnover and employment statistics
Special education teacher unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for special education teachers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Special education teacher unemployment rate by year
| Year | Special education teacher unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.76% |
| 2011 | 2.84% |
| 2012 | 2.73% |
| 2013 | 2.09% |
| 2014 | 2.34% |
| 2015 | 2.46% |
| 2016 | 1.61% |
| 2017 | 1.66% |
| 2018 | 0.99% |
| 2019 | 0.83% |
| 2020 | 1.65% |
| 2021 | 1.41% |
Average special education teacher tenure
The average special education teacher stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 44,474 special education teachers resumes in Zippia's database.
Special education teacher tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 20% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Special education teacher LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of special education teachers 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Director, Lead Teacher And Director | 5.04% | 67,421 |
| Special Education Teacher | 7.55% | - |
| Agriscience Technology Instructor | 8.89% | 78,289 |
| Information Technology Teacher | 11.94% | 125,550 |
Similar special education teacher jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Director, Lead Teacher And Director | 5.04% | 67,421 |
| Agriscience Technology Instructor | 8.89% | 78,289 |
| Information Technology Teacher | 11.94% | 125,550 |
Foreign languages spoken by special education teachers
The most common foreign language among special education teachers is Spanish at 65.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.3% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 2.7%.
- Spanish, 65.4%
- French, 8.3%
- Arabic, 2.7%
- German, 2.6%
- Braille, 2.6%
- Other, 18.4%
Special education teacher languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.4% |
| French | 8.3% |
| Arabic | 2.7% |
| German | 2.6% |
| Braille | 2.6% |
| Other | 18.4% |
