How to hire a special educator

How to hire a special educator, step by step

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

What does a special educator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your special educator 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 educator 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?

   Yes

   No

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

   Type of Special Educator	Description	Hourly rate
   Special Educator	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	$18-36
   Infant And Toddler Teacher	An infant and toddler teacher is a professional who aids in the cognitive and social development of preschool children by teaching them the most basic skills that focus on play-centered learning and creativity. Infant and toddler teachers must help children develop positive self-images and encourage them to explore their interests and develop social skills... Show more	$11-17
   Long Term Substitute Teacher	A long term substitute teacher is responsible for covering the duties of a teacher who is away for a long time. Long term substitute teachers proceed with the lesson plan outlines and the regular teacher's curriculum depending on their expertise... Show more	$14-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Autism
   • Student Learning
   • Math
   • Public Schools
   • Learning Environment
   • Mathematics
   • Classroom Management
   • Behavior Management
   • Data Collection
   • Professional Development
   • Para
   • Student Achievement
   • Written Expression
   • Instructional Materials

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the data team with interpreting results, including NWEA and other benchmark assessments.
   • Develop individual lesson plans at Pre-K level.
   • Work collaboratively with teachers in mathematics and writing.
   • Counsele and provide special education to senior kindergarten students.
   • Implement an individualize curriculum for a kindergarten student with a moderate cognitive impairment.
   • Develop interactive computer lessons to enhance science and math curriculum and student engagement utilizing technology.

   More special educator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your special educator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A special educator 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 educator in South Dakota may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level special educator usually earns less than a senior-level special educator. Additionally, a special educator 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 educator salary

   $53,565yearly

   $25.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level special educator salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average special educator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$76,295	$37
   2	Connecticut	$75,564	$36
   3	Maryland	$74,387	$36
   4	New Jersey	$67,154	$32
   5	California	$64,850	$31
   6	Washington	$55,469	$27
   7	Illinois	$53,294	$26
   8	Texas	$52,642	$25
   9	Missouri	$50,717	$24
   10	Virginia	$47,737	$23
   11	South Carolina	$47,357	$23
   12	New Mexico	$45,100	$22
   13	Arizona	$43,121	$21
   14	Colorado	$41,599	$20
   15	Montana	$40,681	$20

   Average special educator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Capistrano Unified	$70,979	$34.12
   2	Staten Island Academy	$67,553	$32.48
   3	Baltimore City Public Schools	$66,483	$31.96	17
   4	The City University of New York	$65,070	$31.28	16
   5	Bilingual Therapies	$64,289	$30.91
   6	San Jacinto Unified School District	$64,162	$30.85	2
   7	Maxim Healthcare Group	$62,884	$30.23
   8	Anne Arundel County Public Schools	$62,274	$29.94	42
   9	San Diego Unified School District	$62,237	$29.92
   10	Prince George's County Memorial Library System	$61,065	$29.36
   11	Rancho Alamitos High School	$60,493	$29.08
   12	Bristol Public School District	$58,801	$28.27	26
   13	Chicago Public Schools	$58,766	$28.25	45
   14	Childhaven	$58,401	$28.08
   15	Auburn City Schools	$58,376	$28.07	25
   16	Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.c. Or Aza	$58,263	$28.01	8
   17	Irving Isd	$58,251	$28.01	40
   18	Denver Public Schools	$58,078	$27.92	53
   19	Los Angeles Unified School District	$57,641	$27.71
   20	Houston ISD Foundation	$57,468	$27.63	18

4. Writing a special educator job description

   A special educator 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. Below, you can find an example of a special educator job description:

   Special educator job description example

   Required: At least ONE of the following: NYS licensed/certified in Special Education, Students with Disabilities Birth-2 Initial, Professional or Permanent Special Education or expected licensure

   TheraCare is seeking dynamic for NYS Certified Special Education Teachers looking for a comprehensive and rewarding experience to provide home based Applied Behavior services in New York County, within the 5 boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island) of New York City.

   In this role, the NYS Certified Special Education Teachers will provide screening, diagnoses and treatment to children up to 3.5 years old with various developmental delays, in a variety of settings. Provide early intervention through ABA/Special Instruction therapy techniques within the home, school, or community setting. Work with families and a team of other service providers to help achieve child’s IFSP goals. Collect and graph ABA data.

   TheraCare offers our Special Education Teachers (SPED):

   - Competitive compensation and benefits including semi-monthly payments

   - Strong supervision model - our experienced staff is here to help you

   - Complimentary Applied Behavioral Analysis Intro Training Session

   - Availability of clinical resources to aid in professional growth

   - Caseload clustered in geographic area of your choice

   - Work/life balance and autonomy – flexible schedules

   - Professional development opportunities

   - Opportunity for Employee Referral Bonuses

   - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provided

   Successful candidates will have excellent attention to detail regarding report submission, possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, have the ability to liaise and collaborate with professionals in various disciplines and at different levels in order to best advocate for needs of children and be willing to travel to various settings for service provision.

   Qualified candidates will at least ONE of the following: a NYS Permanent Certification in Special Education, a NYS Permanent Certification as a TSHH, a NYS Initial or Professional Certification in Students with Disabilities, Birth to 2nd Grade, or a NYS Initial or Professional Certification as a TSLD or expected licensure,

   For more than 30 years, TheraCare has bee n dedicated to setting the standards for excellence for multi-service healthcare, developmental and educational programs. Our philosophy reflects professionals working collaboratively with families, communities and children to maximize each child’s potential.

   TheraCare is an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right special educator 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 educator job on Zippia to find and recruit special educator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit special educators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 educator

   Once you've found the special educator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new special educator. 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 educator?