Program Coordinator (Special Education)
Impact: Student outcomes, Educational equity, Compliance
Develops, implements, and evaluates special education programs and services, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations. Collaborates with teachers, administrators, and parents to support student success and advocate for appropriate resources.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Frequent
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 10-20% local travel to schools and meetings
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Limited Remote
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours/week
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $78,000
- Entry-level
- $55,000 - $65,000
- Senior
- $95,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 6% (average)
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 50-70% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $40,000 - $70,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Special Education Law
- Curriculum Development
- IEP Development
- Data Analysis
- Program Management
- Grant Writing
Soft skills
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Empathy
- Organization
- Adaptability
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Master's Degree
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 5-8 years
- Years to senior
- 10-15 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Special Education Teacher
- Program Coordinator
- Director of Special Education
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 10% to low risk due to high human interaction and complex decision-making
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.9/10
- Meaning
- 4.5/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.2/10
- Prestige
- 7.5/10
- Social perception
- High