Special needs teacher demographics and statistics in the US
Special needs teacher demographics research summary. Zippia estimates special needs teacher demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our special needs 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 needs teachers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 837,898 special needs teachers currently employed in the United States.
- 79.2% of all special needs teachers are women, while 20.8% are men.
- The average special needs teacher age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of special needs teachers is White (71.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.4%), Black or African American (9.2%) and Unknown (4.0%).
- Special needs teachers are most in-demand in King George, VA.
- Berkeley, CA pays an annual average wage of $69,172, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women special needs teachers earned 98% of what men earned.
- Connecticut is the best state for special needs teachers to live.
- Special needs teachers are 69% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Special needs teacher demographics by:
Special needs teacher gender statistics
79.2% of special needs teachers are women and 20.8% of special needs teachers are men.
- Female, 79.2%
- Male, 20.8%
Special needs teacher gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 79.2% |
| Male | 20.8% |
Special needs teacher gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$42,302
Female income
$41,475
Special needs teacher gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in special needs teacher positions over time. Currently, 79.2% of special needs teachers are female.
Special needs teacher gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 18.61% | 81.39% |
| 2011 | 15.90% | 84.10% |
| 2012 | 18.82% | 81.18% |
| 2013 | 16.89% | 83.11% |
| 2014 | 17.33% | 82.67% |
| 2015 | 17.98% | 82.02% |
| 2016 | 18.13% | 81.87% |
| 2017 | 18.18% | 81.82% |
| 2018 | 18.85% | 81.15% |
| 2019 | 18.07% | 81.93% |
| 2020 | 20.94% | 79.06% |
| 2021 | 20.83% | 79.17% |
Special needs teacher related jobs gender ratio
We compared special needs 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 Needs Teacher | 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 needs teacher demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among special needs teachers is White, which makes up 71.5% of all special needs teachers. Comparatively, 11.4% of special needs teachers are Hispanic or Latino and 9.2% of special needs teachers 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 needs teacher race
| Special needs teacher 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 needs teacher race and ethnicity over time
See how special needs teacher racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Special needs teacher race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.47% | 10.94% | 2.13% | 9.16% |
| 2011 | 74.45% | 11.17% | 2.41% | 9.43% |
| 2012 | 75.81% | 9.55% | 2.64% | 9.73% |
| 2013 | 76.53% | 9.95% | 2.55% | 8.42% |
| 2014 | 73.67% | 10.82% | 3.22% | 9.70% |
| 2015 | 73.37% | 10.89% | 2.76% | 10.23% |
| 2016 | 73.04% | 10.44% | 2.87% | 10.37% |
| 2017 | 72.82% | 10.04% | 3.19% | 11.08% |
| 2018 | 73.76% | 9.04% | 3.13% | 11.39% |
| 2019 | 75.78% | 9.70% | 2.57% | 9.69% |
| 2020 | 72.66% | 9.33% | 3.16% | 10.59% |
| 2021 | 71.53% | 9.17% | 3.59% | 11.39% |
Special needs teacher wage gap by race
According to our data, asian special needs teachers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american special needs teachers have the lowest average salary at $41,297.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $42,111 |
| White | $41,463 |
| Black or African American | $41,297 |
| Asian | $43,928 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $42,767 |
Average special needs teacher age
See how the average age of special needs teachers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Special needs 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 needs teacher age breakdown
The average age of special needs teachers is 40+ years years old, representing 58% of the special needs teacher population.
Special needs teacher age breakdown
| Special Needs Teacher Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 58% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 13% |
Special needs teacher educational attainment
The most common degree for special needs teachers is bachelor's degree, with 61% of special needs teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 13%.
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 17%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Special needs teachers by degree level
| Special needs teacher degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 61% |
| Master's | 17% |
| Associate | 13% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Special needs teacher jobs you might like
Special needs teacher wage gap by degree level
According to the data, special needs teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $55,049 annually. With a Master's degree, special needs teachers earn a median annual income of $54,613 compared to $45,794 for special needs teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $54,613 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,794 |
| Doctorate Degree | $55,049 |
Special needs teacher employment statistics
Most special needs teachers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where special needs teachers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where special needs teachers work.
Special needs teacher jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 32% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 4% |
Special needs teacher jobs by company type
Employees with the special needs teacher job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most special needs teachers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Special needs teacher jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 69% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 18% |
| Government | 10% |
Special needs teacher jobs by industry
The most common industries for special needs teachers are education, non profits and government.
Special needs teacher industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 59% |
| Government | 9% |
| Non Profits | 9% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
Special needs teacher turnover and employment statistics
Special needs teacher unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for special needs teachers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Special needs teacher unemployment rate by year
| Year | Special needs 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 needs teacher tenure
The average special needs teacher stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,844 special needs teachers resumes in Zippia's database.
Special needs teacher tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 26% |
| 1-2 years | 36% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Special needs teacher LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of special needs 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Infant And Toddler Teacher | 5.04% | 63,094 |
| Special Needs Teacher | 7.55% | - |
| Elementary Supervisor | 8.89% | 2,736 |
| Algebra Teacher | 11.94% | 53,960 |
Similar special needs teacher jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Infant And Toddler Teacher | 5.04% | 63,094 |
| Elementary Supervisor | 8.89% | 2,736 |
| Algebra Teacher | 11.94% | 53,960 |
Foreign languages spoken by special needs teachers
The most common foreign language among special needs teachers is Spanish at 57.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.8% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 3.2%.
- Spanish, 57.0%
- French, 10.8%
- Portuguese, 3.2%
- Japanese, 3.2%
- Mandarin, 3.2%
- Other, 22.6%
Special needs teacher languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 57.0% |
| French | 10.8% |
| Portuguese | 3.2% |
| Japanese | 3.2% |
| Mandarin | 3.2% |
| Other | 22.6% |
