Special educator demographics and statistics in the US
Special educator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates special educator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our special educator 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 educators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 196,648 special educators currently employed in the United States.
- 78.7% of all special educators are women, while 21.3% are men.
- The average special educator age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of special educators is White (71.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.4%), Black or African American (9.2%) and Unknown (4.0%).
- Special educators are most in-demand in Suwanee, GA.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for special educators.
- 8% of all special educators are LGBT.
On this page
Special educator demographics by:
Special educator gender statistics
78.7% of special educators are women and 21.3% of special educators are men.
- Female, 78.7%
- Male, 21.3%
Special educator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 78.7% |
| Male | 21.3% |
Special educator gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$47,635
Female income
$46,663
Special educator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in special educator positions over time. Currently, 78.7% of special educators are female.
Special educator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 19.03% | 80.97% |
| 2011 | 16.27% | 83.73% |
| 2012 | 19.24% | 80.76% |
| 2013 | 17.28% | 82.72% |
| 2014 | 17.73% | 82.27% |
| 2015 | 18.39% | 81.61% |
| 2016 | 18.55% | 81.45% |
| 2017 | 18.60% | 81.40% |
| 2018 | 19.28% | 80.72% |
| 2019 | 18.49% | 81.51% |
| 2020 | 21.41% | 78.59% |
| 2021 | 21.29% | 78.71% |
Special educator related jobs gender ratio
We compared special educators 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 Educator | 21% | 79% |
| 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 educator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among special educators is White, which makes up 71.5% of all special educators. Comparatively, 11.4% of special educators are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of special educators are Black or African American.
- White, 71.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.4%
- Black or African American, 9.2%
- Unknown, 4.0%
- Asian, 3.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Special educator race
| Special educator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 71.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.4% |
| Black or African American | 9.2% |
| Unknown | 4.0% |
| Asian | 3.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Special educator race and ethnicity over time
See how special educator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Special educator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.48% | 10.93% | 2.13% | 9.16% |
| 2011 | 74.46% | 11.16% | 2.41% | 9.42% |
| 2012 | 75.82% | 9.55% | 2.63% | 9.73% |
| 2013 | 76.54% | 9.94% | 2.55% | 8.42% |
| 2014 | 73.68% | 10.81% | 3.22% | 9.70% |
| 2015 | 73.38% | 10.89% | 2.76% | 10.23% |
| 2016 | 73.05% | 10.43% | 2.87% | 10.37% |
| 2017 | 72.83% | 10.03% | 3.19% | 11.08% |
| 2018 | 73.77% | 9.04% | 3.13% | 11.38% |
| 2019 | 75.79% | 9.69% | 2.57% | 9.69% |
| 2020 | 72.67% | 9.32% | 3.16% | 10.59% |
| 2021 | 71.54% | 9.16% | 3.59% | 11.39% |
Special educator wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $47,410 |
| White | $46,648 |
| Black or African American | $46,453 |
| Asian | $49,547 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $48,181 |
Average special educator age
See how the average age of special educators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Special educator 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 educator age breakdown
The average age of special educators is 40+ years years old, representing 58% of the special educator population.
Special educator age breakdown
| Special Educator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 58% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Special educator educational attainment
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Special educators by degree level
| Special educator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 61% |
| Master's | 21% |
| Associate | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Special educator jobs you might like
Special educator wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,193 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,747 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,712 |
Special educator employment statistics
Most special educators work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where special educators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where special educators work.
Special educator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 26% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 27% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 6% |
Special educator jobs by company type
Employees with the special educator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most special educators prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Special educator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 85% |
| Public | 1% |
| Private | 8% |
| Government | 6% |
Special educator jobs by industry
The most common industries for special educators are education, government and professional.
Special educator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 78% |
| Government | 6% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Special educator turnover and employment statistics
Special educator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for special educators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Special educator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Special educator 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 educator tenure
The average special educator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,182 special educators resumes in Zippia's database.
Special educator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 26% |
| 1-2 years | 27% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Special educator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of special educators 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Pre-K Teacher | 5.04% | 55,623 |
| Special Educator | 7.55% | - |
| Mentor Teacher | 8.89% | 68,887 |
| High School Music Instructor | 11.94% | 45,739 |
Similar special educator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Pre-K Teacher | 5.04% | 55,623 |
| Mentor Teacher | 8.89% | 68,887 |
| High School Music Instructor | 11.94% | 45,739 |
Foreign languages spoken by special educators
The most common foreign language among special educators is Spanish at 60.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.1% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 4.4%.
- Spanish, 60.4%
- French, 10.1%
- Arabic, 4.4%
- Russian, 3.1%
- Portuguese, 1.9%
- Other, 20.1%
Special educator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 60.4% |
| French | 10.1% |
| Arabic | 4.4% |
| Russian | 3.1% |
| Portuguese | 1.9% |
| Other | 20.1% |
