← All 785 jobsFile 25-2057
Special Education Teachers, Middle School
Lightly edited
AI performs some of this work. Most of it still needs a person. The BLS expects 0.4% fewer of these jobs by 2035.
- Rank
- #202 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- -0.4% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $66,810 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 94,800 in the US, with about 6,000 openings a year
The work, 22 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
Still yours: Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures23%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Advise others on educational or vocational matters9%
AI performed this in about 1 in 293 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
Still yours: Collaborate in the development of educational programs7%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Teach life skills7%
AI performed this in about 1 in 756 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
AI does this: Prepare informational or instructional materials7%
AI performed this in about 1 in 51 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance6%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Monitor individual behavior or performance5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,704 conversations, and it got them there 93% of the time.
Still yours: Assist individuals with special needs4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Teach academic or vocational subjects3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 70 Copilot conversations and completed it 84% of the time.
Still yours: Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Supervise personnel activities3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Maintain operational records3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Communicate with others about operational plans or activities3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 354 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
AI does this: Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 40 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
Still yours: Serve on organizational committees1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Train others to use equipment or products1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 494 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
Still yours: Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Distribute materials, supplies, or resources1%
AI does this in desk jobs, but in this one it is mostly hands-on.
AI helps with this: Purchase goods or services1%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 214 conversations, and it got them there 91% of the time.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 100 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
Even shrinking, it should still see about 6,000 openings a year as people retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 72% of the workPreschool Teachers24% AI does, against 32% here+4.5% by 2035 · $38,140 · Associate’s degree
- Shares 60% of the workSelf-Enrichment Teachers25% AI does, against 32% here+3.5% by 2035 · $46,800 · High school diploma
- Shares 74% of the workSecondary School Teachers26% AI does, against 32% here-0.2% by 2035 · $72,040 · Bachelor’s degree
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.17, higher than 58% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 25-2057 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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