Special education teachers are nearly always in demand, and frequently top lists of teacher shortages in nearly every state. You do not need a master’s degree to be a special education teacher. A bachelor’s degree and teaching credential with an emphasis in special education will allow you to teach in public schools as well as the many private schools which require teaching licenses. A master’s degree will enhance job opportunities and earnings potential in many public school districts and it will also assist you to teach different classes and specialties in the discipline.
Salary Differences
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that special ed teachers’ median pay was $57,910 in 2016. More special ed teachers at the secondary level have master’s degrees than those who teach elementary school, and their mean annual wage was $64,020. Over 127,900 teachers of students with special needs work in public elementary and secondary schools. The top ten percent of special education teachers, most of whom have master’s degrees, earn more than $96,000 a year, the BLS reports.
Program Choices
Some teachers choose to work for a few years with a bachelor’s degree and credential while they investigate opportunities for a master’s degree or additional special skills and expertise. Online, hybrid and in-person master’s degree programs exist in every state. Many people continue teaching while they complete programs online, or through hybrid in-person and online courses. You can also receive certification to teach students with varying levels and types of disabilities. The University of Southern California offers online research-based certificates in teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities, while Drexel University offers Master of Science degrees in education methods for special needs students.
Licenses and Credentials
Different states have different requirements for special ed teachers, which are determined by state credential and licensing commissions. California’s requirements offer a good guideline, whether or not teachers have master’s degrees. Teachers at the K-12 level, early childhood level, speech and language teachers, school psychologists and interpreters for those with hearing impairment all need credentials in addition to education. Licensed professionals working with students include physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, and assistants for speech and language. Credentials and licenses are obtained separately from college degrees.
Specialties and Degrees
Many master’s degrees involve specialization in administration, school services, or differing educational approaches and theories. In education for students with special needs, many new specialties are emerging. George Mason University offers a Master’s Degree with a specialty in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Other Master’s degrees in the field emphasize human development skills, secondary or primary grade education, transitional services, and administration of programs for students with special educational needs. The types of classes and program emphasis, as well as the school, determine whether or not a master’s degree will be designated as an M.Ed. (Master of Education), M.A. (Master of Arts), or M.S. (Master of Science).
You do not need to have a master’s degree to be a special ed. teacher, only a bachelor’s degree and teaching credential. Training, research and ongoing education can not only enhance your abilities and skills in working with students, these additional benefits offered to teachers in master’s programs can strengthen your earning potential as a special education teacher.
