Director of Special Education: Job Description, Salary, and Career Path

Professionals in the special education space play a critical role in the education system, and the director of special education sits at the top of the special education career ladder. This role requires both teaching and administrative experience, along with a Master of Education (MEd) degree. Special education directors plan and develop programs, including evaluating the effectiveness of those programs, and need a strong understanding of the laws and regulations that govern special education.

What Does a Director of Special Education Do?

A Director of Special Education is responsible for the planning, development, coordination, and management of all special education programs, services, budgets, and personnel. Potential special education directors oversee programs that serve students with special needs at daycares, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools. Special education directors can perform tasks for a number of facilities. They may oversee special education programs at daycares/preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, or high schools, or they may oversee special education programs for an entire school district.

To enable student success, special education directors perform a number of tasks. They help establish learning curriculums, set program goals, and work with special education teachers to form lesson plans and class syllabi. They recruit, hire, and orient special education teachers to ensure their programs feature talented educators that are specialized in teaching students with special needs.

Beyond enabling academic success for special needs students, special education directors also perform a variety of administrative tasks. They generally manage the budgets for their programs and determine how to allocate funds each school year. They set the schedules for teachers and staff members in their programs. They may also oversee busing for special needs students if separate busing is in place. The job of special education director is a full-time position.

Districts increasingly rely on special education directors to meet the rising demand for learning accommodations and student services. Better research into disabilities means more students are receiving key diagnoses. Early intervention prevents them from falling behind in school, but it also means schools need more resources to accommodate learners.

Skills and Competencies for Success

Posted Director of Special Education jobs typically require the following level of education. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year. Posted Director of Special Education jobs typically require the following number of years of experience. The numbers below are based on job postings in the United States from the past year.

Below are listings of the most common general and specialized skills Director of Special Education positions expect applicants to have as well as the most common skills that distinguish individuals from their peers. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is also listed.

Baseline Skills

A skill that is required across a broad range of occupations, including this one:

Leadership (52.96%)
Communication (49.66%)
Teaching (44.14%)
Planning (28.2%)
Management (26.5%)
Coordinating (25.77%)
Writing (18.62%)
Interpersonal Communications (17.13%)
Research (16.52%)
Problem Solving (15.46%)

Defining Skills

A core skill for this occupation, it occurs frequently in job postings:

Special Education (98.44%)
Individualized Education Programs (IEP) (58.65%)
Student Services (26.1%)

Necessary Skills

A skill that is requested frequently in this occupation but isn’t specific to it:

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Special Education Law (21.21%)
Disabilities (17.26%)
Psychology (13.01%)
Curriculum Development (8.12%)
Data Collection (9.1%)
Data Analysis (9.1%)
Mediation (7.66%)
Auditing (8.54%)

Distinguishing Skills

A skill that may distinguish a subset of the occupation:

Special Education Administration (5.58%)

Salary Boosting Skills

A professional who wishes to excel in this career path may consider developing the following highly valued skills. The percentage of job postings that specifically mention each skill is listed:

Special Education Administration (100%)

Steps to Becoming a Special Education Director

To become a special education director, educators need specialized training and classroom experience. Generally, special education directors start their careers as special education teachers.

Earn a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education: During a bachelor’s in special education program, learners complete courses in differentiated instruction, assessment methods, and classroom management. Programs may also incorporate content area knowledge, particularly for careers in secondary education.
Gain Teaching Experience: With a teaching degree and state licensure, educators can qualify for special education teaching jobs. Special education directors typically bring several years of teaching experience to their role.

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Obtain a Master's Degree in Education (MEd): Most special education director jobs require a master’s degree in education. During an MEd program, educators strengthen their administrative and leadership abilities. Master’s students explore the impact of behavioral disorders and learning disabilities on teaching while examining trends in special education. Graduate programs strengthen administrative skills by examining systematic approaches to instructional assessment, adaptive instruction, and curriculum design.
Acquire Administrative Experience: When hiring special education directors, districts often look for a track record of excellence in the classroom and in administrative roles. Special education teachers can gain experience by becoming a lead teacher, special education coordinator, or special education administrator. Some districts may also require licensure as a school administrator or special education director.

Along with experience and updated licensing, you also might decide to advance your education further with a director of special education certificate. These certificate programs are designed for educators who are working full-time, so they can juggle their advanced education with their jobs. Advanced certificates can show your dedication to the field and prove that you have the skills to take on a director role.

Salary and Earning Potential

The average director of special education salary in the United States is $80,520. Director of special education salaries typically range between $55,000 and $115,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for directors of special education is $38.71 per hour. Director of special education salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Moving into leadership roles helps special education teachers increase their earning potential.

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a director of special education typically falls between $75,967 and $108,487.

The highest-paying states for directors of special education are Maryland, New Jersey, and California. The lowest average director of special education salary states are Mississippi, South Dakota, and Arkansas. The highest-paying cities for directors of special education are Santa Clara, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Boston, MA.

A director of special education's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.

Director of special education salaries at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Silicon Valley Bank are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average director of special education salary at companies like board of education and Boulder Valley School District are highly competitive.

The average director of special education salary has risen by $8,970 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average director of special education earned $71,550 annually, but today, they earn $80,520 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for directors of special education over the last decade.

The Economic Research Institute reports that special education directors earn close to $117,000 because they are in executive positions. You might earn more as a special education director if you oversee a large school or an entire district.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$72,000 - Male

$71,400

$70,800

$70,200

$69,600

$69,000 - Female

Alternative Job Titles

Sometimes employers post jobs with Director of Special Education skills but a different job title. Some common alternative job titles include:

Special Education Supervisor
National Education Director
Director of Student Services
Director of Special Services
Special Education Administrator
Chairperson
Director of Special Programs
Director of Education
Special Education Facilitator

Job Outlook and Demand

Demand for both special education directors and teachers is high. Special education directors will likely be challenged with keeping current teachers on staff and recruiting additional special education teachers.

By 2024, there will be a change of 14,000 jobs for a total of 254,000 people employed in the career nationwide.

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