Post job

How to hire a special education teacher

Special education teacher hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring special education teachers in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a special education teacher is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per special education teacher on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 667,914 special education teachers in the US and 67,699 job openings.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for special education teachers, with 101 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of special education teachers.

How to hire a special education teacher, step by step

To hire a special education teacher, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a special education teacher:

Here's a step-by-step special education teacher 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 teacher job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new special education teacher
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a special education teacher do?

A special education teacher is responsible for teaching students with disabilities. Special education teachers are trained professionals to provide distinct learning instructions for children with special cases for them to achieve their potentials and improve their self-confidence. A special education teacher must have excellent communication and organizational skills to assist the students with their learning areas. Special education teachers should be able to come up with engaging activities to support the students' behavioral and intellectual development.

Learn more about the specifics of what a special education teacher does
jobs
Post a special education teacher job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your special education teacher job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a special education teacher for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A special education teacher's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, special education teachers 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 teachers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Special Education TeacherDescriptionHourly rate
    Special Education TeacherSpecial 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$18-35
    2nd Grade TeacherA 2nd-grade teacher specializes in educating young children, providing them with a safe and efficient classroom environment. One of their primary responsibilities is to devise strategies to improve the students' academic knowledge and interpersonal skills, craft effective lesson plans, and enhance their reading and writing skills... Show more$15-32
    TeacherBeing a teacher is one of the most passionate professions, among others. Teachers educate, motivate, and guide every generation of learners to prepare them for the real world... Show more$15-33
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Classroom Management
    • Autism
    • Behavior Management
    • IEPs
    • Professional Development
    • Student Learning
    • Mathematics
    • Math
    • Instructional Materials
    • K-12
    • Public Schools
    • Classroom Environment
    • Learning Environment
    • Education Programs
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Lead a DIBELS intervention group.
    • Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.
    • Design a unique and differentiate curriculum that addressed state standards for both mathematics and special education.
    • Educate special needs kids with mental and physical disabilities using proven conventional and improvise teaching/learning methods.
    • Plan appropriate lessons align to NYS CCSS.
    • Instruct and create ELA lessons through Fountas and Pinnell and Fundations.
    More special education teacher duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your special education teacher job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A special education teacher salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a special education teacher in Arizona may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level special education teacher usually earns less than a senior-level special education teacher. Additionally, a special education teacher with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average special education teacher salary

    $54,290yearly

    $26.10 hourly rate

    Entry-level special education teacher salary
    $39,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 22, 2026

    Average special education teacher salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Maryland$76,511$37
    2District of Columbia$70,892$34
    3California$66,364$32
    4New York$64,308$31
    5Virginia$59,143$28
    6Pennsylvania$54,645$26
    7Illinois$53,361$26
    8Michigan$50,193$24
    9Georgia$49,338$24
    10Kansas$48,784$23
    11Kentucky$48,406$23
    12Missouri$48,243$23
    13Minnesota$46,983$23
    14Texas$45,781$22
    15Colorado$44,438$21
    16New Mexico$42,224$20
    17South Carolina$41,816$20
    18Utah$41,524$20
    19Arizona$40,921$20
    20Louisiana$40,863$20

    Average special education teacher salary by company

  4. Writing a special education teacher job description

    A job description for a special education teacher role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a special education teacher job description:

    Special education teacher job description example

    The Sam and Rose Stein Education Center serves students ages 5 to 22 that have Developmental Disabilities who are unable to attend public schools. The work environment is challenging but rewarding. We are a caring organization with room for advancement.

    THE POSITION

    The Teacher works under the supervision of the Director of Education to provide instruction in the classroom assigned. An example of other tasks include:

    • Provide appropriate effective educational programs for students assigned to the classroom.
    • Create appropriate and effective behavioral programs for assigned students.
    • Maintain educational and behavioral records for each student in the class.
    • Prepare reports for each student as required.
    • Supervise, train and discipline the classroom aides assigned to the teacher.
    • Maintain staff records.
    • Prepare student progress reports and IEPs as needed.
    • Work cooperatively with other teachers to review behavior management strategies and share educational programming ideas.
    • Maintain communication with parents, guardians, group home personnel, school district personnel and other involved parties.
    • Ensure compliance with relevant laws and Department of Education requirements.
    • Prepare for the certification reviews by the California Department of Education.

    REQUIREMENTS

    • Credential in Special Education Moderate - Severe
    • Experience with students with developmental disabilities
    • Supervisory experience preferred
    • Physical ability to assist in emergency situations
    • COVID 19 vaccine requirements

    HOURS

    Full Time - Monday thru Friday

    PAY

    $62,400 to start. May be increased based on experience and education.

    BENEFITS

    This position receives employer-paid benefits, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off (vacation and sick leave), paid holidays, and employer-paid pension.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find special education teachers for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your special education teacher job on Zippia to find and recruit special education teacher candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit special education teachers, 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.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    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 teacher

    Once you've selected the best special education teacher candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a special education teacher?

Hiring a special education teacher comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting special education teachers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of special education teacher recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for special education teachers is $54,290 in the US. However, the cost of special education teacher hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a special education teacher for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $18 and $35 an hour.

Find better special education teachers in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring special education teachers FAQs

Search for special education teacher jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse education, training, and library jobs