SOC 25-2057.00

    Special Education Teachers, Middle School

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

    Median pay
    $66,810
    Growth
    -0.4%
    Little or no change
    Openings a year
    6,000
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $49,420
    Median
    $66,810
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $102,510
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    95,200 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Middle school special education teachers instruct students with physical, emotional, or learning disabilities, helping them build academic and life skills. The career offers a median annual pay of $66,810.

    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, middle school do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Teach academic, social, and life skills to middle school 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 lessons, social skills, and daily living strategies to middle school students who have intellectual, learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. This includes specialized instruction for students who are blind, deaf, or hard of hearing. On a daily basis, teachers focus on training, coaching, and assisting others while maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. They must organize and plan schoolwork, resolve conflicts, and communicate regularly with school staff and parents.

    Success in this role requires a strong social interest, meaning a desire to help and serve others. Key skills include instructing, active listening, social perceptiveness, and choosing the right learning strategies for each student. Teachers rely on their knowledge of education, psychology, the English language, and sociology to connect with students. Because the classroom environment can be demanding, professionals need high stress tolerance, empathy, cooperation, self-control, and optimism.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree. Most people in this field complete a college major in special education and teaching. Because this occupation requires considerable preparation, prospective teachers usually need several years of related work experience alongside their degree.

    Depending on where they plan to work, teachers may need to meet specific state requirements. Some states list a license for this work. Additionally, professionals can pursue credentials such as the DoDEA Certification from the Department of Defense Education Activity. Related careers in this field include special education roles at the preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school levels.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for these teachers was $66,810. This means half of the workers in this role earned more than this amount, and half earned less. Earnings vary based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% earning less than $49,420 and the highest 10% earning more than $102,510.

    There are 95,200 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to experience little or no change, with a slight decline of -0.4%. Despite this flat growth, about 6,000 job openings are still expected to become available each year to replace workers who leave the occupation.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    22 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    49 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    49 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    13 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    38 / 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 SAI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    81
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    75
    Training and Teaching Others
    72
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    70
    Working with Computers
    70
    Coaching and Developing Others
    67
    Getting Information
    66
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    65
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    65
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    65
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

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

    Knowledge

    • English Language
    • Education and Training
    • Mathematics
    • Administrative
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Psychology
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Law and Government
    • Computers and Electronics

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Speech Recognition

    Work styles

    • Empathy
    • Cooperation
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Self-Control
    • Integrity
    • Optimism
    • Sincerity
    • Social Orientation
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Blind Teacher · Braille Teacher · Deaf Teacher · DHOH Teacher (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher) · EBD SPED Teacher (Emotional-Behavioral Disabilities Special Education Teacher) · ED SPED Teacher (Emotional Disabilities Special Education Teacher) · Emotionally Impaired Teacher · Handicapped Teacher · Hearing Impaired Teacher (HI Teacher) · Interrelated SPED Teacher (Interrelated Special Education Teacher)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to special education teachers, middle school

    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, Middle School$66,810 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, middle school 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 Junior High/Middle School 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

    50 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, middle school

    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?

    Professionals in this field are known by many names, including Braille teachers, Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHOH) teachers, and Emotional Disabilities Special Education (ED SPED) teachers. They may also be referred to as hearing impaired teachers or interrelated special education teachers.

    What college majors are recommended for this job?

    Students preparing for this career typically major in special education and teaching. This coursework provides the foundational education and training needed to work with students who have diverse learning needs.

    How many job openings are expected each year?

    Even though overall employment growth is projected to change by -0.4% from 2025 to 2035, there are still 6,000 openings projected each year. These openings help fill vacancies as teachers retire or transition to other careers.

    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 5, 2026.