Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten earn a median of $67,170 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 0.1% through 2035, with about 37,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed.
- SOC 25-2055
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten in four numbers
- Median pay
- $67,170a yearBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $49KTop 10% $105K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.1%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 37,100584,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025584.1K
- Projected 2035583.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 584.1K Projected 2035 583.8K - Typical education
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Neededneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Deaf Teacher, Emotional Disabilities Teacher, Hearing Impaired Itinerant Teacher (HI Itinerant Teacher), K-1 SPED Teacher (Kindergarten through First Grade Special Education Teacher), Kindergarten SPED Teacher (Kindergarten Special Education Teacher), Life Skills Teacher.
Pay
How much do Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten make?
Every special education teacher, kindergarten in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$67,170
Middle half earn $59,770 to $83,980
- 10th
- $49,230
- 25th
- $59,770
- 75th
- $83,980
- 90th
- $105,020
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $49,230 |
| 25th | $59,770 |
| Median | $67,170 |
| 75th | $83,980 |
| 90th | $105,020 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $67,170
- Median hourly wage
- N/A
- Mean annual wage
- $74,730
- People employed
- 583,430
Versus all US occupations
At $67,170, Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten earn 32% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $16,190 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
The median is typical for the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $68,270.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $105,020 or more while the bottom 10% earn $49,230, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 41% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Job outlook
Is Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten | −0.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten to change -0.1% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 300 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 37,100 openings are projected each year, 6.4% of the 584,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
N/A
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
N/A
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten do?
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.
Day-to-day tasks
- Instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs.
- Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
- Confer with parents, guardians, teachers, counselors, or administrators to resolve students' behavioral or academic problems.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, or social development.
- Employ special educational strategies or techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, or memory.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- 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.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending 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 important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
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
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Learning Strategies3.9
- Writing3.6
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Active Learning3.6
- Monitoring3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Service Orientation3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Time Management3.5
- Coordination3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Persuasion3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Time Management | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer based training software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Device drivers or system software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
- Voice recognition 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 Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| 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 investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social7.0
- Investigative3.8
- Conventional3.7
- Artistic3.6
- Realistic2.5
- Enterprising1.7
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 Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten
O*NET related occupations
- Educational Instruction and Library
Special Education Teacher, Elementary School
$67,170median a year
Most earn $49K to $105K
−0.1%Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed - Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Educational Instruction and Library
Special Education Teacher, Secondary School
$74,260median a year
Most earn $50K to $109K
−0.2%Bachelor's - 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
Teaching Assistant, Special Education
$37,010median a year
Most earn $27K to $56K
0.0%Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
More educational instruction and library careers
Median annual pay, with special education teachers, kindergarten highlighted
- Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary$80,250
- Special Education Teacher, Secondary School$74,260
- Librarian$68,270
- Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten$67,170
- Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School$66,270
- 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 |
| Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten | $67,170 |
| Career/Technical Education Teacher, Secondary School | $66,270 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $62,680 |
| Library Technician | $44,580 |
| Tutor | $43,350 |
| Preschool Teacher, Except Special Education | $38,140 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten appears on
Questions
Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten: frequently asked questions
How much do Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten make?
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten earn a median of $67,170 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 32% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. The middle half earn between $59,770 and $83,980. The top 10% earn $105,020 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten?
Yes. BLS reports a job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed as the typical entry-level education for Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation.
Is Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.1% over 2025–2035, a loss of 300 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 37,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten do?
Teach academic, social, and life skills to kindergarten students with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities. A core O*NET task: instruct students with disabilities in academic subjects, using a variety of techniques, such as phonetics, multisensory learning, or repetition to reinforce learning and meet students' varying needs. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
What personality type suits a Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten?
O*NET scores Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFP, ISFP, 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.