Education & Library
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)
US median pay
$64,830
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.4%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
2,000
30,500 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 4/5 · Considerable preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- 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.
- Modify the general preschool curriculum for students with disabilities.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Instructing3.9/5
- Service Orientation3.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Coordination3.2/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Systems Evaluation3.0/5
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service4.3/5
- Education and Training4.3/5
- English Language3.9/5
- Administration and Management3.5/5
- Psychology3.5/5
- Administrative3.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 4 of 5 — Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Who this job suits
Mostly Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Artistic
Creating, designing and self-expression
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.