As of June 2026, Special Education Teachers, Middle School has an AI-exposure score of 50/100 (Elevated exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Special Education Teachers, Middle School
More exposed than 32% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$66,810. About 6,300 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Education roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as durable (80%).
- Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
- Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress.
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Develop or write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students.
- Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development.
- Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, based upon a variety of instructional techniques and instructional technology.
- Coordinate placement of students with special needs into mainstream classes.
- Monitor teachers and teacher assistants to ensure that they adhere to inclusive special education program requirements.
- Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
- Teach students personal development skills, such as goal setting, independence, and self-advocacy.
- Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory.
- Teach socially acceptable behavior, employing techniques such as behavior modification and positive reinforcement.
- Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions.
- Collaborate with other teachers that provide instruction to special education students to ensure that the students receive appropriate support.
- Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems.
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
Grounded in O*NET + the Anthropic Economic Index + BLS — personalized to your role.
Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
Instant delivery — your personalized report is ready about a minute after checkout.