A certified teacher who assesses struggling readers, delivers targeted reading intervention and coaches other teachers on literacy. BLS does not publish separate figures for elementary school teachers, except special education; it counts them within elementary school teacher (SOC 25-2021), whose median pay is $63,970 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 25-2021
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Reading Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $63,970a yearBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $104K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.4%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 87,5001,419,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.4M
- Projected 20351.4M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.4M Projected 2035 1.4M - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's78.2%
- Master's21.8%
Highest education held by elementary school teachers, except special education Segment Value Bachelor's 78.2% Master's 21.8%
Also advertised as: Literacy Specialist, Reading Interventionist, Literacy Coach, Reading Teacher, Title I Reading Specialist.
Pay
How much do Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education make?
Every reading specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$63,970
Middle half earn $57,710 to $81,450
- 10th
- $47,960
- 25th
- $57,710
- 75th
- $81,450
- 90th
- $104,340
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,960 |
| 25th | $57,710 |
| Median | $63,970 |
| 75th | $81,450 |
| 90th | $104,340 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $63,970
- Median hourly wage
- N/A
- Mean annual wage
- $72,650
- People employed
- 1,388,390
Versus all US occupations
At $63,970, Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education earn 25% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,990 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270, this is 6% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $104,340 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,960, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 39% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $102,350, and still leads at $95,643 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $102,350 | $95,643 | 28,980 |
| 2California | $99,650 | $90,002 | 155,160 |
| 3District of Columbia | $96,580 | $87,879 | 3,750 |
| 4Massachusetts | $94,000 | $88,883 | 29,930 |
| 5Rhode Island | $90,930 | $88,903 | 3,830 |
| 6New York | $85,760 | $79,466 | 101,410 |
| 7Connecticut | $80,600 | $77,792 | 16,330 |
| 8Alaska | $79,260 | $77,433 | 3,500 |
| 9New Jersey | $78,200 | $71,872 | 40,300 |
| 10Maryland | $77,680 | $74,010 | 29,610 |
Job outlook
Is Reading Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | −0.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education to change -0.4% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 5,800 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 87,500 openings are projected each year, 6.2% of the 1,419,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Reading Specialist
Reading specialists start as licensed classroom teachers. Most states require a master's degree or graduate coursework in reading or literacy education plus classroom experience to earn a reading specialist certification or endorsement, and many require a state or Praxis exam in reading.
The International Literacy Association publishes the Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals, which graduate programs use. Training in structured literacy and the science of reading, such as LETRS or Orton-Gillingham based programs, is increasingly expected as states adopt new reading laws. Many reading specialists work as teachers for several years, then complete a master's while teaching.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as elementary school teachers, except special education.
- Bachelor's Degree78.2%
- Master's Degree21.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 78.2% |
| Master's Degree | 21.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Reading Specialist do?
Reading specialists help students who are behind in reading catch up. In elementary schools, they screen students, give diagnostic assessments to pinpoint whether a child struggles with phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary or comprehension, and then teach small intervention groups using structured, evidence-based programs.
Many reading specialists also work as literacy coaches. They help classroom teachers plan reading instruction, model lessons, analyze reading data across a grade or school, and choose curriculum. They lead parent workshops, contribute to special education evaluations and plans, and often manage reading programs funded by federal Title I dollars.
Day-to-day tasks
- Screen students for reading difficulties
- Give diagnostic reading assessments and interpret results
- Teach small-group reading interventions
- Coach classroom teachers on literacy instruction
- Analyze school-wide reading data and progress
- Help select reading curriculum and materials
- Lead family workshops on supporting reading at home
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Reading specialists work in public and private elementary and middle schools, and some in districts or tutoring centers. They teach small groups in a resource room, push into classrooms and meet with teachers. Schedules follow the school day and calendar. Data meetings and testing periods create busy stretches.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Learning Strategies4.3
- Speaking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.9
- Active Learning3.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Learning Strategies | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing4.3
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Time Management3.8
- Persuasion3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Computer based training software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop communications software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Reading Specialist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SIA) built on O*NET's Elementary School Teacher profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Reading Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Social7.0
- Artistic4.5
- Investigative4.3
- Conventional3.8
- Realistic2.6
- Enterprising2.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Reading Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructor
$61,540median a year
Most earn $42K to $98K
−13.9%Bachelor's - Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with elementary school teachers, except special education highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- Reading Specialist$63,970
- Kindergarten Teacher$62,680
- Library Technician$44,580
- Tutor$43,350
- Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education$38,140
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $80,250 |
| Special Education Teacher, Secondary School | $74,260 |
| Librarian | $68,270 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Reading Specialist | $63,970 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Reading Specialist appears on
Questions
Reading Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for elementary school teachers, except special education. It counts them within elementary school teacher, whose median pay is $63,970 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $57,710 and $81,450, and the top 10% earn $104,340 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Reading Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 78.2% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Reading Specialist a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.4% over 2025–2035, a loss of 5,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 87,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Reading Specialist do?
Reading specialists help students who are behind in reading catch up. A typical task: screen students for reading difficulties. Employers most often ask for Document management software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education the most?
The highest state medians for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education are Washington ($102,350), California ($99,650), District of Columbia ($96,580) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Reading Specialist?
O*NET scores Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education highest on the Social, Artistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ENFP, ENFJ, INFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.