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Middle School Special Education

A program that focuses on the design and provision of teaching and other educational services to children with special learning needs or disabilities who are in junior high/middle school. Includes instruction in diagnosing learning disabilities; developing individual education plans; curriculum development, instructional strategies, and classroom management for middle school special education; and principles of middle school instruction in specific subjects.

Types of Degrees Middle School Special Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Middle School Special Education can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	18
Master’s Degree	83

What Middle School Special Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Middle School Special Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Middle School Special Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Middle School Special Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Middle School Special Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Middle School Special Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Middle School Special Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Middle School Special Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Middle School Special Education graduates include:

• Assistant Professor
• Education Faculty Member
• Primary Education Professor
• Physical Education Instructor
• Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Secondary Education Professor
• Educational Administration Teacher
• Music Education Professor
• Adult Basic Education Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Special Education Professor
• Counselor Education Professor
• Science Education Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer

What Can You Do With a Middle School Special Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Middle School Special Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Middle School Special Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	55.4%
Bachelor’s degree	31.8%
Master’s degree	12.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Middle School Special Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 74.3% of Middle School Special Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	75	74.3%
Men	26	25.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Middle School Special Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	41	40.6%
Asian	2	2.0%
Hispanic or Latino	33	32.7%
Black or African American	16	15.8%
Two or More Races	1	1.0%
Race Unknown	8	7.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Middle School Special Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Middle School Special Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$54,981
4 years	$54,220
5 years	$59,983

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,983 — roughly 9% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Middle School Special Education Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Middle School Special Education graduates earn a median of $54,220 four years after completion — roughly 43% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Special Education and Teaching	33,988
Special Education and Teaching, General	22,116
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs	3,548
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs	2,055
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities	1,213
Special Education and Teaching, Other	1,070
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,051
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism	1,002
Bilingual and Multilingual Education	932
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs	833
Biology Teacher Education	696

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.