Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Also called: Learning Support Teacher, MS SPED Teacher (Middle School Special Education Teacher), SPED Resource Teacher (Special Education Resource Teacher), SPED Teacher (Special Education Teacher)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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 19 of its 40 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.4% 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 100% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $62,850 | $52,970 to $69,810 | 460 |
| Alaska | $81,000 | $78,730 to $96,830 | 200 |
| Arizona | $62,130 | $52,040 to $66,290 | 580 |
| Arkansas | $56,830 | $51,130 to $60,480 | 750 |
| California | $101,530 | $80,550 to $120,550 | 4,860 |
| Colorado | $66,130 | $60,870 to $80,530 | 2,020 |
| Connecticut | $92,900 | $72,450 to $100,610 | 1,260 |
| Delaware | $77,420 | $60,150 to $87,760 | not published |
| District of Columbia | $79,170 | $76,190 to $101,130 | 520 |
| Florida | $60,440 | $55,710 to $62,660 | 2,630 |
| Georgia | $70,550 | $60,760 to $79,550 | 3,740 |
| Hawaii | $61,750 | $60,200 to $76,880 | 380 |
| Idaho | $60,170 | $52,510 to $66,930 | 300 |
| Illinois | $74,730 | $60,600 to $86,700 | 4,460 |
| Indiana | $58,900 | $49,260 to $69,100 | 1,070 |
| Iowa | $63,590 | $59,550 to $76,580 | 990 |
| Kansas | $59,780 | $50,980 to $62,100 | 550 |
| Kentucky | $60,200 | $48,490 to $63,580 | 1,530 |
| Louisiana | $59,420 | $50,510 to $61,140 | 1,130 |
| Maine | $63,440 | $60,660 to $77,150 | 310 |
| Maryland | $76,410 | $63,460 to $101,240 | 1,540 |
| Massachusetts | $84,550 | $74,470 to $99,780 | 3,110 |
| Michigan | $76,040 | $55,790 to $83,900 | 1,410 |
| Minnesota | $63,630 | $59,950 to $81,450 | 1,930 |
| Mississippi | $50,750 | $47,920 to $59,350 | 1,020 |
| Missouri | $50,370 | $46,390 to $59,920 | 1,050 |
| Montana | $63,960 | $51,230 to $76,840 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $63,460 | $59,800 to $76,300 | 680 |
| Nevada | $63,280 | $48,300 to $74,420 | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $66,760 | $59,620 to $78,690 | 650 |
| New Jersey | $79,110 | $67,690 to $96,930 | 5,660 |
| New Mexico | $74,440 | $62,000 to $77,140 | 1,090 |
| New York | $93,820 | $67,930 to $115,810 | 7,870 |
| North Carolina | $59,360 | $48,510 to $61,830 | 2,470 |
| North Dakota | $57,680 | $48,080 to $66,340 | 200 |
| Ohio | $74,590 | $60,080 to $86,150 | 7,540 |
| Oklahoma | $50,450 | $47,850 to $59,510 | 930 |
| Oregon | $78,360 | $58,730 to $92,170 | 590 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,040 | $61,590 to $93,480 | 3,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $58,270 | $51,290 to $60,560 | 950 |
| Rhode Island | $93,970 | $76,710 to $95,500 | 380 |
| South Carolina | $62,310 | $52,140 to $74,450 | 980 |
| South Dakota | $51,360 | $48,370 to $58,080 | 310 |
| Tennessee | $60,000 | $51,440 to $66,560 | 1,310 |
| Texas | $63,360 | $61,070 to $71,030 | 12,580 |
| Utah | $78,920 | $59,900 to $93,180 | 690 |
| Vermont | $73,110 | $60,580 to $81,000 | 470 |
| Virginia | $63,820 | $59,650 to $81,810 | 3,000 |
| Washington | $99,520 | $80,570 to $111,320 | 1,550 |
| West Virginia | $56,440 | $47,970 to $59,570 | 1,080 |
| Wisconsin | $65,840 | $57,440 to $80,340 | 2,650 |
| Wyoming | $62,770 | $60,830 to $72,480 | 330 |
Nationally: $66,810. 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 19 of its 40 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions. | Not published |
| AI alone | Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy. | Not published |
| Not much | Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests. | Not published |
See all 40 tasks
| Not much | Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development. | Not published |
| AI + software | Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement. | Not published |
| Not much | Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory. | Not published |
| AI + software | Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. | Not published |
| Not much | Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support. | Not published |
| AI + software | Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. | Not published |
| AI alone | Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Administer standardized ability and achievement tests, and interpret results to determine students' strengths and needs. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare for assigned classes, and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. | Not published |
| AI + software | Organize and label materials and display students' work. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct students in daily living skills required for independent maintenance and self-sufficiency, such as hygiene, safety, and food preparation. | Not published |
| Not much | Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools. | Not published |
| AI + software | Meet with parents and guardians to provide guidance in using community resources and to teach skills for dealing with students' impairments. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide additional instruction in vocational areas. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers, or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Select, store, order, issue, and inventory classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Organize and supervise games and other recreational activities to promote physical, mental, and social development. | Not published |
| AI + software | Supervise, evaluate, and plan assignments for teacher assistants and volunteers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Not published |
| Not much | Visit schools to tutor students with sensory impairments and to consult with teachers regarding students' special needs. | 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. 2 of the 40 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 40 tasks fall under 22 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
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| 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 | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Teach life skills | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Collaborate in the development of educational programs |
Show all 22 activities
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Teaching material47%
- A plan or strategy9%
- A document or report8%
- An explanation or answer8%
- A game or something interactive4%
How they worked with Claude
32% 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, middle school 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 98,086 moves out
- 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 7%
- 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 106,996 moves in
- 1 Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education High -0.4% 6%
- 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 5 Teacher Assistants (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 83% bachelor's
- 1% post-bachelor's certificate
- 15% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 29 people answered.
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.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
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 with Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
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/25-2057.00