State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary is $63,820 a year ($30.68/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 0.7% through 2034, with about 8,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 25-1194Educational Instruction and LibraryLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $63,820
- Projected growth
- +0.7%
- Openings a year
- 8,800
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Automotive Instructor, Automotive Technology Instructor, Cosmetology Instructor, Flight Instructor, HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor), Instructor.
How much do Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary make?
10th percentile$41,960
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$50,320
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$63,820
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$82,360
Upper quartile
90th percentile$108,620
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $63,820 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $30.68/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $72,060 |
| People employed | 114,110 |
Versus all US occupations
At $63,820, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary earn 25% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $12,840 a year.
Versus educational instruction and library occupations
Inside the Educational Instruction and Library group, where the middle occupation pays $77,355, this is 17% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $108,620 or more while the bottom 10% earn $41,960, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 49% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wisconsin pays the most at $82,620, and still leads at $87,805 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | $82,620 | $87,805 | 2,000 |
| South Carolina | $79,610 | $84,918 | 1,980 |
| Massachusetts | $78,780 | $74,492 | 1,660 |
| Washington | $77,530 | $72,449 | 3,610 |
| Alaska | $77,310 | $75,528 | 1,120 |
| Minnesota | $76,920 | $77,996 | 1,510 |
| California | $76,630 | $69,211 | 11,040 |
| New York | $75,170 | $69,653 | 5,250 |
| Wyoming | $74,210 | $80,062 | 360 |
| North Dakota | $73,570 | $82,701 | 430 |
Is Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary a growing career?
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary0.7%
All US occupations3.1%
+0.7% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary to change 0.7% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 8,800 openings are projected each year, 7.2% of the 122,200 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of career and technical education teachers is projected to grow 1 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of career and technical education teachers varies by occupation (see table).
Some demand for these workers is expected over the projections decade due to continued interest in career and technical education programs. However, this demand is likely to be tempered as schools continue to require students to take more academic classes and the number of students in middle and high schools is expected to decline.
How to become a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary
Career and technical education teachers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree and work experience in the subject they teach. Public schools may require a state-issued teaching certification or license.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as career/technical education teachers, postsecondary.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)42.3%
- Bachelor's Degree20.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate16.2%
- Master's Degree7.6%
- Some College Courses6.9%
What does a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary do?
Teach vocational courses intended to provide occupational training below the baccalaureate level in subjects such as construction, mechanics/repair, manufacturing, transportation, or cosmetology, primarily to students who have graduated from or left high school. Teaching takes place in public or private schools whose primary business is academic or vocational education.
Career and technical education (CTE) teachers provide training in subjects such as auto repair, cosmetology, and culinary arts. They teach vocational and technical content to give students the skills and knowledge necessary to enter an occupation.
Day-to-day tasks
- Present lectures and conduct discussions to increase students' knowledge and competence using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, videotapes, and slides.
- Prepare reports and maintain records, such as student grades, attendance rolls, and training activity details.
- Administer oral, written, or performance tests to measure progress and to evaluate training effectiveness.
- Develop curricula and plan course content and methods of instruction.
- Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
- Select and assemble books, materials, supplies, and equipment for training, courses, or projects.
- Advise students on course selection, career decisions, and other academic and vocational concerns.
- Integrate academic and vocational curricula so that students can obtain a variety of skills.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Learning Strategies4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.8/5
- Writing3.6/5
- Monitoring3.6/5
Transferable skills
- Instructing4.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.3/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.3/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Persuasion3.0/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Computer based training software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop communications software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Instant messaging software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary3.8
Investigativeprimary4.2
Artistic3.1
Socialprimary6.6
Enterprising2.1
Conventional3.3
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary: frequently asked questions
How much do Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary make?
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $63,820 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 25% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $30.68/hr. The middle half earn between $50,320 and $82,360. The top 10% earn $108,620 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.3% hold associate's degree (or other 2-year degree).
Is Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.7% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 8,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary do?
Career and technical education (CTE) teachers provide training in subjects such as auto repair, cosmetology, and culinary arts. A core O*NET task: present lectures and conduct discussions to increase students' knowledge and competence using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, videotapes, and slides. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary the most?
The highest state medians for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary are Wisconsin ($82,620), South Carolina ($79,610), Massachusetts ($78,780) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary?
O*NET scores Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary highest on the Social, Investigative and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFP, ESFP, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.