Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
Machines can already do 43% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 59%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 43% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 10% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2031, and 59% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 163,930 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $74,260 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 85% for contact with people.
- Also called: Education Specialist, Emotional Disability Special Education Teacher (ED SPED Teacher), Exceptional Student Education Teacher (ESE Teacher), Handicapped Teacher.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies | 12% | 70% to 74% | |
| Maintain accurate and complete student records, and prepare reports on children and activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations | 8% | 63% to 81% | |
| Develop and implement strategies to meet the needs of students with a variety of handicapping conditions | 6% | 32% to 55% | |
| Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health | 6% | 74% to 82% | |
| Establish and enforce rules for behavior and policies and procedures to maintain order among students | 3% | 32% to 55% | |
| Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, or other professionals to develop individual educational plans (IEPs) for students' educational, physical, and social development | 3% | 29% to 53% | |
| Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory | 3% | 32% to 55% | |
| Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities | 3% | 18% to 51% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills special education teachers, secondary school use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Social and Community Service Managers54% of tasks by 2035 · US median $80,390
- Special Education Teachers, Elementary School52% of tasks by 2035
- Health Education Specialists58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $64,070
- Rehabilitation Counselors55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $46,850
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Special Education Teachers, Secondary School?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2031. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of special education teachers, secondary school?
Machines can do 43% of the tasks of special education teachers, secondary school today and 59% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 25-2058.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Special Education Teachers, Secondary School: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/special-education-teachers-secondary-school/