Special Education Teacher Salary
Children are our future and each one of them is unique. Special needs children however are extraordinary in their own way and need a little extra care or attention throughout their schooling lives. This is where a special ed teacher steps in. These specialty teachers will teach disabled or mentally handicapped children in a tailor made way that works with their unique situations. Generally speaking, a special education teacher will required to have patience and persistence in their job so as to allow them to work successfully with their students.
Special ed teachers will help develop what is called an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each of their students. Because each student usually needs such tailored teaching, special education classes will tend to be quite small.
Becoming a special education teacher can be a challenging career, but one that can also be incredibly rewarding, allowing the teacher to be a developing guide in the future of many children who above all others need a helping hand.
Special Education Teacher Salary
Not surprisingly, a special education teacher’s salary will vary depending on the institution and setting they are employed in. The average special education teacher salary in the United States as of 2011 is $47,688. Salaries do vary between $30,000 for the lowest ten percent to around $68,000 dollars yearly if you are in the top ten percent of your job.
Education and Training Needed To Become A Special Education Teacher
Because of the specialized nature of their jobs, special ed teachers will need to undergo more extensive training than regular teachers. You will certainly need a bachelor’s degree in teaching with a focus on special education. Many colleges and universities offer special education classes in the special ed field at all levels, including undergraduate, master’s and doctorate.
A bachelor’s degree in special education will often take 4 years, however over the last few years more and more schools have been adding a 5th “job placement” year in which the prospective teacher will be teaching a class under supervision.
All 50 states require special education teachers to be licensed. These licensing requirements vary from state to state so you should do some further research online.
Job Growth Outlook For Special Education Teachers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in the special education field will grow at a rate of 17% between 2008- and 2018. This is an above average rate of growth when compared to other jobs in the U.S.
The number of special education students has been growing over the last decade and that growth is expected to continue. Part of the reason for this growth is our increased ability to spot more subtle learning problems at an earlier stage.
Most states in the U.S. have reported a difficulty locating properly trained special education. Because of this the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that special ed teachers can look forward to excellent job prospects now and in the future.
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