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As a Special Education Paraprofessional, you will be assisting Special Education Teachers and maybe further your career and become a Special Education Teacher yourself. Special Education Teachers held a total of about 441,000 jobs in 2004. About 90 percent work in public schools with almost half being elementary schools. The remaining 10% work at private schools, individual and social assistance agencies, residential facilities, or in homebound or hospital environments.
It is highly rewarding to be able to assist and teach children who have a variety of disabilities. The majority of work is with children who have mild to moderate disabilities, mainly at the elementary, middle, and secondary school levels, although some work with infants and toddlers.
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In May 2004, the majority of Special Education Teachers had median annual earnings of between $35,000 and $74,000 with most working only the traditional 10-month school year.
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With the steady increase of children with special needs, the need for special education teachers is expected to grow at an alarming rate of between 18% and 26% by 2014. With enrollments growing at a slower rate, many school districts report difficulty finding a sufficient number of qualified teachers. As a result, special education teachers should have excellent job prospects.
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