What is a special education coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Experts
Art Dobbs,
Dr. Christian Wilkens Ph.D.

Special education coordinators work with staff members and teachers from different departments to plan special services for children with special needs. You'll coordinate curricular resources, develop budget proposals, review special education programs, and implement the guidelines of the state curriculum. Furthermore, you'll oversee personnel management through hiring new staff members, training teaching staff, and improving the productivity of existing personnel. Also, you'll develop individualized education programs and represent the district in meetings.

To become a special education coordinator, you need a minimum of a bachelor's degree in education or special education. However, some employers prefer individuals with a doctoral degree. You will need at least three to five years of experience working in a related role. You must possess decision-making, communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills. Special education coordinators make an average gross income of $63,471. This ranges between $44,000 and $92,000.

What general advice would you give to a Special Education Coordinator?

Art Dobbs

Principal, Tupelo High School

With today's job market, to be competitive, students must possess a variety of hard and soft skills. At Tupelo High School, we offer our students every opportunity - from Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses to the best Career-Tech facility in the state - to succeed. When our students graduate, we know they are ready for the next step toward their future.
ScoreSpecial Education CoordinatorUS Average
Salary
5.5

Avg. Salary $70,637

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.1

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 3.59%

Black or African American 9.17%

Hispanic or Latino 11.40%

Unknown 3.95%

White 71.52%

Gender

female 77.44%

male 22.56%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.5

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Special Education Coordinator career paths

Key steps to become a special education coordinator

  1. Explore special education coordinator education requirements

    Most common special education coordinator degrees

    Bachelor's

    53.7 %

    Master's

    35.7 %

    Associate

    5.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific special education coordinator skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Professional Development13.00%
    IEPs11.78%
    Rehabilitation8.84%
    K-124.65%
    Student Performance3.86%
  3. Research special education coordinator duties and responsibilities

    • Manage social media profiles through Facebook for important details and dates pertaining to HeartChase.
    • Integrate technology across all content areas, making mathematics come to life!
    • Assess students in reading, writing, and mathematics base on informal measures.
    • Coordinate the scheduling and facilitation of CSE meetings with district staff and relate service providers.
  4. Prepare your special education coordinator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your special education coordinator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a special education coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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  5. Apply for special education coordinator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a special education coordinator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Special Education Coordinator Job

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Are you a Special Education Coordinator?

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Average special education coordinator salary

The average Special Education Coordinator salary in the United States is $70,637 per year or $34 per hour. Special education coordinator salaries range between $47,000 and $104,000 per year.

Average Special Education Coordinator Salary
$70,637 Yearly
$33.96 hourly

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How do special education coordinators rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

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Special Education Coordinator reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

The kids light up my days.

Cons

The demand and low pay. Teachers have families, too.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022
Pros

You got to work with learners who will love you unconditionally. It gives a great satisfaction to be able to help them. I love learners with Special Needs and I am a Mom of one.

Cons

I can't say, maybe because there is none.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Cons

Administration, observations, being told what to teach and HOW to teach it, expecting us to participate in things we might not want to or have the time for, staff meetings with no substance


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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