Headline risk
25%
Moderate RiskSpecial education teachers, kindergarten and elementary school
AI displacement pressure score for United States AI Work Index, combining global AI task overlap with local wages, employment trends, and demand signals.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
No O*NET description published.
Task evidence
Task primitive coverage is not published for this occupation.
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 63,000
Employment 2024
230.2K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-1.8%
Openings (2024–34)
15.4K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of special education teachers is projected to grow 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Role Profile
Requirements
Worker profile
Median age 43.4 · 3.5M employed
Under 25: 6% · 25–54: 74% · 55+: 20%
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Source coverage
6/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Data quality
Employment data available
Narrative & sources
Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.
Most special education teachers work in public schools, teaching students from preschool to high school. Many work the traditional 10-month school year, but some work year round.
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.
The median annual wage for special education teachers was $64,270 in May 2024.
Overall employment of special education teachers is projected to grow 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Important context
This score measures structural AI displacement pressure, not actual job losses. Local wages and demand data are specific to United States AI Work Index; the underlying AI task overlap analysis is consistent across all countries.