Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School
Teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the secondary school level.
- Median pay
- $66,270
- Doing it now
- 110,500
- By 2035
- Down 0.4%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
a year
across the country
6,400 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Prepare materials and classroom for class activities.
- Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by law, district policy, and administrative regulations.
- Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
- Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injury and damage.
- Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate.
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
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Organised and precise
Creative and expressive
Careers like this one
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$63,970
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$64,370
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School$65,030
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary$75,350
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 $66,270 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.