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Life Skills Instructor: Career and Salary Facts
Life Skills Instructor: Career and Salary Facts
Research what it takes to become a life skills instructor, which generally involves a special education background. Learn about job duties, education requirements, employment outlook and wages to find out if this is the career for you.
What Is a Life Skills Instructor?
A life skills instructor specializes in helping individuals with learning or physical disabilities develop skills for independent living. This can include instruction in daily tasks, social interactions, personal care and basic job skills. For instance, life skills instructors may offer instructional sessions in exercise, shopping, cooking or playing sports. They may also organize job shadowing or volunteering opportunities for disabled individuals. Many work as special education instructors in schools, but there are also jobs in specialized clinics and nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing opportunities for disabled patients.
The following chart gives you an overview of what you need to know about entering the field.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td>Elementary Education, Special Education, Content Area with minor in Special Education</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Skills</b></td><td>Communication and interpersonal skills; patience; resourcefulness</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td>8% growth <i>(for all special education teachers)</i>*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)</b></td><td>$60,620 <i>(for kindergarten and elementary special education teachers)</i><br/> $62,320 <i>(for secondary special education teachers)</i>*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoLifeSkillsInstructorsDo">What Do Life Skills Instructors Do?</h3><p>Typical job responsibilities might include managing a classroom, keeping records of attendance, communicating with school administrative staff and preparing lessons. You could meet regularly with parents to discuss their child's progress and setbacks. Additional duties could include:
</p><ul><li>Designing individualized learning plans (IEPs),
</li><li>Ensuring IEPs are legally defensible,
</li><li>Collecting and interpreting data on students,
</li><li>Helping students eat and keep clean, and
</li><li>Managing the physical needs of students.
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatShouldIStudy">What Should I Study?</h3><p>The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that most aspiring special education teachers need to earn a bachelor's degree (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). In a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education program, you might explore topics like IEP development, behavior management and assessing children with disabilities. Most programs require completion of a teaching internship in order to earn a bachelor's degree.
</p><p>Some states expect special education teachers to hold a master's degree. A Master of Education in Special Education program might train you in areas like common learning disorders, teaching methods and behavioral analysis. Typical courses could include trends in special education, research methodologies, behavior and learning environments, statistics in special education, educational assessment and diverse learning. You can usually earn a master's degree in 2-3 years.
</p><h3 id="section---DoINeedALicense">Do I Need a License?</h3><p>You need a license to teach special education in all 50 states within public schools. The BLS reports that most states require completion of at least a bachelor's program in special education as well as a student teaching experience in order to obtain licensure. Alternative licensing routes may be available as well. These programs are often designed to attract bachelor's degree-holders who have no prior experience in education.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatIsTheJobOutlook">What is the Job Outlook?</h3><p>According to the BLS, the number of employed special education teachers was estimated to increase by 3% between 2020 and 2030. Around 42% of new special education teachers is expected to be needed at the kindergarten and elementary school levels, and approximately 32% of new jobs in this area will be at the high school level.
</p><h3 id="section---HowMuchMightIEarn">How Much Might I Earn?</h3><p>In 2020, the BLS reported that special education teachers at the kindergarten and elementary levels earned a median salary of $60,620. Meanwhile, those at the secondary level earned a median of $62,320. Special education teachers with master's degrees typically earn more competitive salaries.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>If you want to work with people who have disabilities, you could also get a job as an assistant to an occupational therapist, where you would help disabled individuals learn exercises and use equipment designed to make it easier for them to live independently. You need to have at least an associate's degree for this job, and some states also require assistants to pass a licensure exam. Another relevant option is a career as a recreational therapist. These professionals organize recreational and therapeutic activities for people who have disabilities, injuries or long-term illnesses, like cancer. The minimum educational requirement is a bachelor's degree.</p>
