Special Ed degree. Does it pay?

amother

White

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 12:51 am

To those who have degrees (ba or masters in special ed) is it worth it? How much do you actually earn after taxes? Do you get insurance? Pls share thanks

seeker

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 1:34 am

I could answer but it would give you very little idea. I know many many people with degrees in special ed and they are in many many different roles with different compensation.

A general rule of thumb is that full time jobs provide insurance benefits while self employment, hourly, and most part-time positions don't. Taxes will depend on a host of things such as your location, family size, other income...

Public school systems' pay scales are public domain so you should be able to google starting salaries for special ed teachers in your area.

m in Israel

Wed, Nov 30 2016, 2:04 am

As seeker said, there is a huge range in what people actually DO with the degree. A degree doesn't "pay" -- a job does. Someone working EI cases for 2 mornings a week is going to have a very different compensation than someone working full time in the DOE.

My special ed degree definitely paid for me. But I got a job in the NYC public school system -- something that is not necessarily so easy to get, and that not all frum women want. I also was on the highest pay differential (I did extra credits above my masters). By the time I left I was making almost $80,000 per year pre tax plus full health insurance and a handful of other benefits. And the schedule has gone up since then. This is a current chart of how much you would make according to the amount of years and your education:

http://www.uft.org/files/attac.....8.pdf

But IME at least in the NY area, most frum women with special ed degrees don't work for the DOE. So I'm not sure if this helps you much.