Special Education Teachers, Preschool
Also called: Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (ECSE Teacher), Early Intervention Teacher, Preschool SPED Teacher (Preschool Special Education Teacher), Special Education TeacherTeach academic, social, and life skills to preschool-aged 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 36 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 2.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Special education teachers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 66% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $80,390 | $65,760 to $96,030 | 110 |
| Arizona | $60,130 | $49,190 to $65,280 | 330 |
| Arkansas | $35,580 | $28,650 to $47,200 | 510 |
| California | $59,550 | $48,400 to $83,370 | 2,510 |
| Colorado | $78,040 | $61,980 to $85,770 | 810 |
| Connecticut | $87,960 | $63,180 to $97,720 | 380 |
| Delaware | $59,250 | $56,330 to $59,400 | 100 |
| Florida | $58,240 | $51,330 to $68,980 | 1,370 |
| Georgia | $72,310 | $60,950 to $80,970 | 380 |
| Hawaii | $75,120 | $59,300 to $77,810 | 230 |
| Idaho | $49,610 | $44,410 to $67,080 | 180 |
| Illinois | $62,580 | $49,680 to $80,360 | 1,080 |
| Indiana | $48,680 | $37,640 to $65,320 | 380 |
| Iowa | $63,540 | $48,740 to $72,980 | not published |
| Kansas | $59,220 | $50,680 to $63,260 | 350 |
| Kentucky | $54,220 | $39,680 to $62,360 | not published |
| Louisiana | $56,890 | $49,770 to $59,720 | 960 |
| Maine | $60,680 | $48,510 to $63,040 | 40 |
| Maryland | $85,010 | $74,150 to $103,130 | 70 |
| Massachusetts | $99,070 | $78,540 to $109,510 | 710 |
| Michigan | $75,860 | $62,810 to $90,840 | 430 |
| Minnesota | $75,880 | $57,900 to $83,880 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $52,420 | $49,420 to $60,590 | 110 |
| Missouri | $62,250 | $48,580 to $111,640 | 940 |
| Nebraska | $62,760 | $49,280 to $72,180 | 80 |
| New Hampshire | $61,720 | $49,430 to $80,000 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $92,060 | $69,390 to $134,710 | 1,720 |
| New Mexico | $66,010 | $60,460 to $80,250 | 270 |
| New York | $68,180 | $54,770 to $149,560 | 6,220 |
| North Carolina | $60,180 | $48,370 to $68,840 | 640 |
| North Dakota | $60,060 | $56,690 to $64,070 | 50 |
| Ohio | $60,700 | $49,270 to $81,950 | 1,150 |
| Oklahoma | $49,720 | $45,170 to $52,420 | 60 |
| Oregon | $77,490 | $62,180 to $95,040 | 400 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,510 | $60,070 to $106,370 | 490 |
| Rhode Island | $59,310 | $35,030 to $96,330 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $59,800 | $45,270 to $63,950 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $59,550 | $49,070 to $66,140 | 330 |
| Texas | $65,680 | $58,600 to $82,420 | 2,010 |
| Utah | $58,230 | $55,200 to $80,490 | 110 |
| Vermont | $79,000 | $67,640 to $82,330 | 70 |
| Virginia | $77,570 | $61,690 to $99,430 | 650 |
| Washington | $86,580 | $76,760 to $104,970 | 820 |
| Wisconsin | $60,870 | $51,330 to $73,640 | 240 |
| Wyoming | $52,100 | $46,320 to $60,890 | 80 |
Nationally: $64,830. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 16 of its 36 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play. | Not published |
| AI + software | Meet with parents or guardians to discuss their children's progress, advise them on using community resources, or teach skills for dealing with students' impairments. | Not published |
See all 36 tasks
| Not much | Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, or changing their diapers. | Not published |
| Not much | Read books to entire classes or to small groups. | Not published |
| Not much | Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students. | Not published |
| Not much | Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory. | Not published |
| Not much | Arrange indoor or outdoor space to facilitate creative play, motor-skill activities, or safety. | Not published |
| Not much | Encourage students to explore learning opportunities or persevere with challenging tasks to prepare them for later grades. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Modify the general preschool curriculum for students with disabilities. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, or self-advocacy. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual education plans (IEPs). | Not published |
| Not much | Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, or teacher training workshops to maintain or improve professional competence. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, or assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor teachers or teacher assistants to ensure adherence to special education program requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer tests to help determine children's developmental levels, needs, or potential. | Not published |
| AI + software | Organize and supervise games or other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, or social development. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage. | Not published |
| AI alone | Collaborate with other teachers or administrators to develop, evaluate, or revise preschool programs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish and communicate clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects to students, parents, or guardians. | Not published |
| Not much | Serve meals or snacks in accordance with nutritional guidelines. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare objectives, outlines, or other materials for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements. | 0.07% |
| AI + software | Organize and display students' work in a manner appropriate for their perceptual skills. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan and supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, or demonstrations. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes. | Not published |
| Not much | Control the inventory or distribution of classroom equipment, materials, or supplies. | Not published |
| AI + software | Present information in audio-visual or interactive formats, using computers, television, audio-visual aids, or other equipment, materials, or technologies. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Prepare assignments for teacher assistants or volunteers. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 7 of the 36 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 36 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
- #46 Provide support or encouragement to others
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Teach life skills | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment | |||
| Provide support or encouragement to others | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance |
Show all 20 activities
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Collaborate in the development of educational programs | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report36%
- Teaching material27%
- A presentation or slides10%
- A plan or strategy7%
- An academic paper or thesis5%
How they worked with Claude
45% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for special education teachers, preschool specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 5,720 moves out
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 5%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 3%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Very high +0.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 5,976 moves in
- 1 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education Moderate +4.5% 5%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Very high +0.0% 4%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
- 5 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 3% high school
- 3% some college
- 2% associate's
- 37% bachelor's
- 49% master's
- 3% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Special education teachers” · 4,707 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Special education teachers”
13 programs, such as Special Education and Teaching, General, Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness and Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances.
See all
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances
- 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 Vision Impairments Including Blindness
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism
- Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/25-2051.00