# Adapted Physical Education Specialists

> Provide individualized physical education instruction or services to children, youth, or adults with exceptional physical needs due to gross motor developmental delays or other impairments.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/adapted-physical-education-specialists
- SOC code: 25-2059.01
- Career family: Education
- Median annual pay: $76,580 (10th percentile $48,440, 90th percentile $120,080)
- Projected growth: Slower than average, +1.9%
- Openings a year: 2,300
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Special education teachers, all other".

## Interest profile (code SCR)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 52 |
| Investigative (I) | 44 |
| Artistic (A) | 24 |
| Social (S) | 100 |
| Enterprising (E) | 15 |
| Conventional (C) | 53 |

## What you'd do

- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 90/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 89/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 89/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 89/100)
- Developing Objectives and Strategies (importance 88/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 84/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 84/100)
- Getting Information (importance 82/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 82/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 80/100)

## Skills

Instructing, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Learning, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Writing

## Knowledge

Education and Training, Psychology, English Language, Administrative, Law and Government, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Sociology and Anthropology, Communications and Media, Administration and Management

## Also called

Adapted Aquatics Instructor, Adapted Fitness Professional, Adapted Physical Activity Specialist, Adapted Physical Education Aide, Adapted Physical Educator, Adaptive PE Specialist (Adaptive Physical Education Specialist), Adaptive PE Teacher (Adaptive Physical Education Teacher), Adaptive Physical Educator, Adaptive Skills Educator, APE Consultant (Adapted Physical Education Consultant)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Special Education and Teaching](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1310) (CIP 1310, 1,003 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Manhattan College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/manhattan-college-1583) | Special Education and Teaching | not reported | $83,932 | not reported |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Special Education and Teaching | $58,712 | $74,535 | $17,379 |
| [SUNY Cortland](https://www.collegesref.com/college/suny-cortland-2653) | Special Education and Teaching | not reported | $74,079 | $24,250 |
| [Seton Hall University-New Jersey](https://www.collegesref.com/college/seton-hall-university-new-jersey-2399) | Special Education and Teaching | not reported | $72,067 | not reported |
| [Molloy College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/molloy-college-1749) | Special Education and Teaching | $49,948 | $71,781 | $27,000 |
| [The College of New Jersey](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-college-of-new-jersey-2736) | Special Education and Teaching | not reported | $66,767 | $26,000 |
| [CUNY Medgar Evers College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-medgar-evers-college-744) | Special Education and Teaching | $58,611 | $66,377 | not reported |
| [Saint Joseph's University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-joseph-s-university-2308) | Special Education and Teaching | $54,709 | $64,827 | $26,261 |

## Related careers

- [Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-kindergarten): $65,120 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Secondary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-secondary-school): $74,260 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Elementary School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-elementary-school): $65,120 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Preschool](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-preschool): $64,830 median pay
- [Special Education Teachers, Middle School](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/special-education-teachers-middle-school): $66,810 median pay
- [Instructional Coordinators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/instructional-coordinators): $77,440 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.