SOC 25-2055.00

    Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten

    Teach academic, social, and life skills to kindergarten students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities.

    Median pay
    $65,120
    Growth
    -0.4%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    16,400
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "Special education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school"

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $49,350
    Median
    $65,120
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $103,010
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    260,870 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Kindergarten special education teachers instruct young children who have physical, emotional, or learning disabilities. The median annual pay for this profession is $65,120, based on broader data that combines kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What special education teachers, kindergarten do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Teach academic, social, and life skills to kindergarten students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. Includes teachers who specialize and work with students who are blind or have visual impairments; students who are deaf or have hearing impairments; and students with intellectual disabilities.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    These educators teach academic, social, and daily life skills to young students with diverse needs, including those with visual or hearing impairments and intellectual disabilities. Day-to-day tasks involve training and teaching others, assisting and caring for students, and thinking creatively to adapt lessons. Teachers must gather information, analyze data, and evaluate student progress to ensure compliance with educational standards. They also spend significant time communicating with supervisors, colleagues, and parents to coordinate student care.

    To succeed in this role, individuals need strong skills in speaking, active listening, instructing, and social perceptiveness. Essential knowledge areas include education and training, psychology, therapy and counseling, and the English language. Because this is a highly social career, teachers must demonstrate work styles such as empathy, cooperation, dependability, and self-control. They must maintain optimism, sincerity, and high stress tolerance when navigating the daily challenges of a special education classroom.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a bachelor's degree, which is the standard entry-level education. Most individuals need several years of experience in a related educational setting before taking on these roles. Students preparing for this field usually major in special education and teaching.

    Depending on where they plan to work, candidates may need to obtain specific credentials. For instance, some states list a license for this work, and teachers may also pursue a DoDEA Certification through the Department of Defense Education Activity. Related careers that require similar preparation include special education teachers at the preschool, elementary, middle, and secondary school levels, as well as special education teaching assistants.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The median annual pay for these teachers is $65,120. The lowest 10 percent of earners in this field make less than $49,350, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $103,010. These wage figures represent a broader federal grouping that combines both kindergarten and elementary school special education teachers.

    There are 260,870 people employed in this field. Between the years 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a slight decline of -0.4 percent. Despite this flat growth, school systems are projected to have 16,400 job openings each year to replace departing workers.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    26 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    47 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    44 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    12 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    45 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    92
    Training and Teaching Others
    92
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    81
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    79
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    79
    Getting Information
    76
    Documenting/Recording Information
    75
    Thinking Creatively
    73
    Developing Objectives and Strategies
    73
    Analyzing Data or Information
    73
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Instructing
    • Learning Strategies
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Learning
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Writing

    Knowledge

    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Psychology
    • Mathematics
    • Administrative
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administration and Management

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Written Comprehension
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • Near Vision
    • Originality
    • Deductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Empathy
    • Cooperation
    • Dependability
    • Optimism
    • Sincerity
    • Self-Control
    • Social Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Academic Interventionist · Adapted Physical Education Teacher · Blind Teacher · Braille Teacher · Cross-Categorical Special Education Teacher · Deaf Teacher · Developmentally Delayed Special Education Teacher (DD Special Education Teacher) · Early Interventionist · Emotional Disabilities Teacher · Emotional Support Teacher

    Career pathway

    From your interests to special education teachers, kindergarten

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten$65,120 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      Manhattan College

      Riverdale, NY · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $83,932
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2Utah State University logo
      Utah State University

      Logan, UT · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $58,712
      4 yrs after
      $74,535
      Median debt
      $17,379
    3. 3SUNY Cortland logo
      SUNY Cortland

      Cortland, NY · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $74,079
      Median debt
      $24,250
    4. 4Seton Hall University-New Jersey logo
      Seton Hall University-New Jersey

      South Orange, NJ · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $72,067
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5Molloy College logo
      Molloy College

      Rockville Centre, NY · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $49,948
      4 yrs after
      $71,781
      Median debt
      $27,000
    6. 6The College of New Jersey logo
      The College of New Jersey

      Ewing, NJ · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $66,767
      Median debt
      $26,000
    7. 7
      CUNY Medgar Evers College

      Brooklyn, NY · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $58,611
      4 yrs after
      $66,377
      Median debt
      Not reported
    8. 8Saint Joseph's University logo
      Saint Joseph's University

      Philadelphia, PA · Special Education and Teaching · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $54,709
      4 yrs after
      $64,827
      Median debt
      $26,261

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What special education teachers, kindergarten may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 13.

    • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic and Other Physical Health Impairments
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries
    • Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    49 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about special education teachers, kindergarten

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are sometimes called academic interventionists, early interventionists, or cross-categorical special education teachers. They may also be referred to as blind teachers, braille teachers, deaf teachers, or emotional support teachers depending on their specific classroom focus.

    What is the projected job outlook for this teaching specialty?

    Employment is expected to see little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with a projected change of -0.4 percent. However, schools will still need to fill 16,400 openings each year to replace teachers who leave the field or retire.

    What college majors and certifications are relevant to this career?

    Students typically major in special education and teaching to prepare for this career path. Some states list a license for this work, and educators can also obtain a DoDEA Certification to teach in military community schools.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 6, 2026.