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Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they 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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $65,120 Median per year Most earn $49,350–$103,010

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment or materials to prevent injuries and damage.
  • Plan or supervise experiential learning activities, such as class projects, field trips, demonstrations, or visits by guest speakers.
  • Develop or implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of disabilities.
  • 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.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
  • Prepare classrooms with a variety of materials or resources for children to explore, manipulate, or use in learning activities or imaginative play.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 16,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't break this career out by industry.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Most people in this job first earn a bachelor's degree and a state teaching license, then often spend about 1 to 2 years working with students in a classroom before they lead their own kindergarten special education class. Getting to this career usually takes about 5 to 6 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in special education or elementary education

    4 years

    You take courses on teaching reading, math, and how to support students with disabilities, and you complete student teaching, which is supervised classroom practice that builds real teaching skills.

  2. Teaching Assistant, Special Education

    1-2 years

    You work alongside a certified special education teacher, helping students with lessons, behavior, and daily routines, which builds the experience this job typically asks for.

  3. Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten

    Ongoing

    Once you have your state license and the classroom experience, you lead your own class and plan individualized lessons for young learners with learning, emotional, or physical disabilities.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Special Education Teacher

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on more responsibility, such as mentoring newer teachers and helping lead planning meetings with families and staff.

  2. Special Education Coordinator

    5+ years of experience first

    You oversee special education programs across a school or district, guiding teachers and making sure students get the support their plans call for.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take psychology or child development classesThese classes help you understand how young children learn and grow, which is the foundation of working with kindergartners.
  • Volunteer with young children or students with disabilitiesHands-on time with kids, such as helping at a elementary school or a disability support group, shows you what the work feels like.
  • Get a job tutoring or babysittingWorking one-on-one with a child builds patience and practice in explaining ideas in simple, clear steps.
  • Join a club like Future Educators or a peer tutoring programTeaching-focused clubs and tutoring programs give you practice leading small groups and planning lessons.
  • Learn basic sign languageSome students in special education use sign language, and knowing even a few signs can help you connect with them.

In college

  • Major in special education or elementary educationThis degree covers the teaching methods, child development, and disability-specific training that the job requires.
  • Apply for a teaching assistant or classroom aide jobWorking in a school as a paraprofessional gives you paid experience with students and a feel for daily classroom life.
  • Volunteer in an inclusive classroom or with a disability organizationExperience with children who have diverse learning needs makes your student teaching and job applications stronger.
  • Take courses in behavior support and child assessmentThese courses teach you how to understand a child's needs and track their progress, which is a big part of this job.
  • Join a student education associationJoining a campus teaching group lets you meet future teachers, attend workshops, and learn about certification steps.

Tips for getting started

  • Spend time with young children now, such as volunteering at a daycare, summer camp, or after-school program, so you can see whether you enjoy working with them every day.
  • Ask a special education teacher at your school or community center if you can observe a class or talk with them about their work.
  • Look up your state's teaching license requirements early, since they can shape which college courses and tests you need.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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