Early Childhood Special Education

Types of Degrees Early Childhood Special Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	822
Bachelor’s Degree	712
Basic Certificate	296
Associate’s Degree	239
Graduate Certificate	74
Undergraduate Certificate	50

What Early Childhood Special Education Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Skills for Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs Majors

education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs Majors

As a education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Early Childhood Special Education Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Special Education Teachers, Preschool	11.3%	$55,840

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education?

The major attracts more women than men. About 96% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	4
Black or African American	19
Hispanic or Latino	30
White	629
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	28

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs. About 0.3% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Early Childhood Special Education Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs is $61,610. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Early Childhood Special Education

Some degrees associated with education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Some College Courses	1.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	32.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	32.0%
Master’s Degree	24.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	7.9%

Online Early Childhood Special Education Programs

In 2018-2019, 180 schools offered a education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	36	2
Certificate (1-2 years)	21	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	34	2
Bachelor’s Degree	26	5
Post-Baccalaureate	36	2
Master’s Degree	55	13
Post-Master’s	8	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Early Childhood Special Education Worth It?

The median salary for a education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs grad is $61,610 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 54% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $434,200 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Early Childhood Special Education

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to education/teaching of individuals in early childhood special education programs.

Major	Number of Grads
General Special Education	20,414
Other Special Education & Teaching	2,242
Elementary Special Education	1,313
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism	924
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities	532
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs	500
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities	476
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented	458
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments	434
Education of the Deaf	358
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed	240
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness	160
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Mental Retardation	152
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances	115
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic & Other Physical Health Impairments	63
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs	56
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries	9

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By woodleywonderworks under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.