Preschool, Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Special Education Teachers

How to become a Preschool Special Education Teacher

Official title: Special Education Teachers, Preschool

Also called: Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (ECSE Teacher), Early Intervention Teacher, Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher), Preschool SPED Teacher (Preschool Special Education Teacher), Profound Mental Handicaps SPED Teacher (Profound Mental Handicaps Special Education Teacher), Severe Mental Handicaps SPED Teacher (Severe Mental Handicaps Special Education Teacher), Special Education Resource Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Special Needs Teacher, SPED Preschool Teacher (Special Education Preschool Teacher)

Teach 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.

Main tasks

Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
Communicate nonverbally with children to provide them with comfort, encouragement, or positive reinforcement.
Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, or administrative regulations.
Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification or positive reinforcement.
Attend to children's basic needs by feeding them, dressing them, or changing their diapers.
Teach basic skills, such as color, shape, number and letter recognition, personal hygiene, or social skills, to preschool students with special needs.
Develop individual educational plans (IEPs) designed to promote students' educational, physical, or social development.
Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.

How to become one

Special education teachers in public schools are required to have a bachelor's degree and a state-issued certification or license. Teachers in private schools typically need a bachelor's degree but may not be required to have a state license or certification.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Education & Teaching degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 26 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $64,830 a year The middle half earn $52,210 to $91,660.
About 30,500 people work in this job now, and about 31,300 are projected by 2035. (+2.4%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Preschool Special Education Teacher?

How much does a Preschool Special Education Teacher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $64,830 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $52,210 to $91,660.

Is a Preschool Special Education Teacher a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 2% by 2035, from about 30,500 to about 31,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Preschool Special Education Teacher?

Usually. 90% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Preschool Special Education Teacher?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.