What Career and Technical Education Teachers Do

Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts.

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Work Environment

Most career and technical education teachers work in middle, high, and postsecondary schools, such as 2-year colleges. Others work in technical, trade, and business schools. Although they generally work during school hours, some teach evening or weekend classes.

How to Become a Career or Technical Education Teacher

Career and technical education teachers typically must have at least a bachelor’s degree. They also need work experience in the subject that they teach. Public school teachers may be required to have a state-issued teaching certification or license.

Pay

The median annual wage for career and technical education teachers was $58,110 in May 2019.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of career and technical education teachers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2019 to 2029, slower than the average for all occupations.

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.

Duties

Career and technical education teachers typically do the following:

Create lesson plans and assignments
Instruct students on how to develop certain skills
Show students how to apply classroom knowledge through hands-on activities
Demonstrate and supervise safe and proper use of tools and equipment
Monitor students’ progress, assign tasks, and grade assignments
Discuss students’ progress with parents, students, and counselors
Develop and enforce classroom rules and safety procedures

CTE teachers help students explore and prepare to enter a career or technical occupation. They use a variety of teaching methods to help students learn and develop skills related to a specific occupation or career field. They demonstrate tasks, techniques, and tools used in an occupation. They may assign hands-on tasks, such as replacing brakes on cars, taking blood pressure, or applying makeup. Teachers typically oversee these activities in workshops and laboratories in the school.

Some teachers work with local businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide practical work experience for students. They also serve as advisers to students participating in career and technical student organizations.

The specific duties of CTE teachers vary by the grade and subject they teach. In middle schools and high schools, they teach general concepts in a classroom and practical exercises in workshops and laboratories.

In postsecondary schools, they teach specific career skills that help students earn a certificate, a diploma, or an associate’s degree and prepare them for a specific job. For example, welding instructors teach students welding techniques and safety practices. They also monitor the use of tools and equipment and have students practice procedures until they meet the standards required by the trade.

In most states, teachers in middle and high schools teach one subject within major career fields. CTE teachers combine academic instruction with experiential learning in their subject of expertise.

For example, teachers of courses in agricultural, food, and natural resources teach topics such as agricultural production; agriculture-related business; veterinary science; and plant, animal, and food systems. They may have students plant and care for crops and animals to apply what they have learned in the classroom.

For information about the programs for major career fields, visit Advance CTE.

Career and technical education teachers held about 209,700 jobs in 2019. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up career and technical education teachers was distributed as follows:

Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary	124,100
Career/technical education teachers, secondary school	73,800
Career/technical education teachers, middle school	11,800

The largest employers of career and technical education teachers were as follows:

Junior colleges; state, local, and private	24%
Technical and trade schools; state, local, and private	22
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private	6

Career and technical education teachers typically work in middle, high, and postsecondary schools, such as 2-year colleges. Others work in technical, trade, and business schools.

Work Schedules

Career and technical education teachers in middle and high schools generally work during school hours. They may meet with parents, students, and school staff before and after classes.

Some career and technical education teachers, especially those in postsecondary schools, teach courses and develop lesson plans during evening hours and on weekends.

Teachers usually work the traditional 10-month school year and have a 2-month break during the summer. They also have a short midwinter break. Some teachers work for summer programs.

Teachers in districts with a year-round schedule typically work 9 weeks in a row and then have a break for 3 weeks before starting a new school session.

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of career and technical education teachers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2019
Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals	Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities.	Master’s degree	$96,400
High School Teachers	High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.	Bachelor’s degree	$61,660
Instructional Coordinators	Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, implement it, and assess its effectiveness.	Master’s degree	$66,290
Middle School Teachers	Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades.	Bachelor’s degree	$59,660
Postsecondary Teachers	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and technical subjects beyond the high school level.	See How to Become One	$79,540
School and Career Counselors	School counselors help students develop the academic and social skills needed to succeed. Career counselors help people choose a path to employment.	Master’s degree	$57,040
Special Education Teachers	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.	Bachelor’s degree	$61,030
Teacher Assistants	Teacher assistants work with a licensed teacher to give students additional attention and instruction.	Some college, no degree	$27,920
Adult Literacy and High School Equivalency Diploma Teachers	Adult literacy and high school equivalency diploma teachers instruct adults in basic skills, such as reading and speaking English. They also help students earn their high school equivalent diploma.	Bachelor’s degree	$54,350
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling.	Bachelor’s degree	$59,420