Vocational Index

Career

Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary

Teach trades and technical skills to adult students.

$63,820
Median pay
-0.3%
Job growth, 2025–35
8,000
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • 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.
  • Supervise and monitor students' use of tools and equipment.
  • Administer oral, written, or performance tests to measure progress and to evaluate training effectiveness.
  • Provide individualized instruction and tutorial or remedial instruction.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+0.7%2025–35 edition-0.3%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 8,800 → 8,000 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

People & care
6.6
Ideas & analysis
4.2
Objects & tools
3.8
Information & systems
3.3
Creation & expression
3.1
Persuasion & leadership
2.1

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then ideas & analysis?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Active Listening, Instructing, Learning Strategies, Active Learning.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $63,820 a year and 8,000 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Teaching (by Subject)See the degree →
  • Irrigation Management Technology/TechnicianCIP 01.0207
  • Dog/Pet/Animal GroomingCIP 01.0504
  • Farrier ScienceCIP 01.0509
  • Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources DesignCIP 11.0801
  • Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database AdministrationCIP 11.0802

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →

Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.