Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
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.
- Median pay
- $63,820
- Doing it now
- 123,100
- By 2035
- Down 0.3%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
8,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Supervise and monitor students' use of tools and equipment.
- Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
- Present lectures and conduct discussions to increase students' knowledge and competence using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, videotapes, and slides.
- Administer oral, written, or performance tests to measure progress and to evaluate training effectiveness.
- Prepare reports and maintain records, such as student grades, attendance rolls, and training activity details.
- Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work, or other training.
- Determine training needs of students or workers.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasSee 985 colleges that teach it
- Computer Software and Media ApplicationsSee 202 colleges that teach it
- Fire ProtectionSee 52 colleges that teach it
- Agricultural and Domestic Animal ServicesSee 29 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Analytical and curious
Hands-on and practical
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $63,820 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.