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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School: Career Profile

Teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the secondary school level.

What Tasks Do Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Perform?

The core tasks performed by career/technical education teachers, secondary school span:

  • 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.
  • Prepare materials and classroom for class activities.
  • Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
  • Instruct students in the knowledge and skills required in a specific occupation or occupational field, using a systematic plan of lectures, discussions, audio-visual presentations, and laboratory, shop, and field studies.
  • Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injury and damage.
  • Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students.
  • Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.

What Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Need to Know

Top career/technical education teachers, secondary school draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Instructing  4.5 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.1 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.1 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.1 / 5
0
5
Learning Strategies  4.1 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  4.0 / 5
0
5

Top Knowledge Areas

Education and Training  4.5 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.0 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  3.8 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.5 / 5
0
5
Public Safety and Security  3.3 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.3 / 5
0
5

Other Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Agricultural Education Instructor
  • Agricultural Education Teacher
  • Agriculture Education Instructor
  • Agriculture Teacher
  • Agriscience Instructor
  • Allied Health Teacher
  • Auto Body Repair Teacher (Automotive Body Repair Teacher)
  • Auto Mechanics Instructor (Automotive Mechanics Instructor)

How Many Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Are There?

There are roughly 1,270,227 career/technical education teachers, secondary school working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.0% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $46,297
Hourly median $22.26
10th percentile $33,171
25th percentile $39,734
75th percentile $52,860
90th percentile $59,423

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School

How Much Do Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
Washington $98,580
Connecticut $97,020
District of Columbia $96,710
Massachusetts $92,600
Alabama $85,400
California $81,860
New Jersey $80,860
Maryland $79,930
New York $79,800
Oregon $79,720
Rhode Island $78,780
Delaware $76,930
Missouri $76,240
Pennsylvania $76,210
Ohio $76,120
Vermont $76,030
Alaska $75,200
Illinois $75,090
Michigan $73,900
New Hampshire $72,820
New Mexico $70,710
Wisconsin $66,820
Virginia $65,460
Utah $65,240
Minnesota $65,070
Georgia $65,060
Colorado $62,940
Texas $62,540
Nebraska $62,320
Idaho $62,280
Maine $62,030
South Carolina $61,980
Nevada $61,900
Wyoming $61,580
Florida $61,290
Indiana $60,500
Kentucky $60,210
North Dakota $60,160
Arkansas $60,060
Montana $59,970
Louisiana $59,500
Tennessee $59,460
Iowa $59,420
Oklahoma $58,640
Kansas $57,910
North Carolina $57,380
Mississippi $56,990
West Virginia $56,060
South Dakota $54,220
Arizona $54,130
Puerto Rico $50,960

Pay by U.S. Region

Earnings for career/technical education teachers, secondary school vary by region. The following regions pay the most:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
New England $90,265 5.5% 1.22
Far Western US $88,736 7.1% 0.79
Middle Atlantic $79,106 12.5% 0.90
Great Lakes $73,016 10.9% 0.91
Rocky Mountains $63,023 3.0% 0.84
Southwest $62,243 25.4% 2.50
Southeast $61,228 29.8% 1.38
Plains States $60,723 4.6% 1.24

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $127,680 240
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA CA $117,500 60
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA WA $105,610 120
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $103,180 170
Fresno, CA CA $102,240 250
Modesto, CA CA $101,970 120
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA WA $101,490 120
Bellingham, WA WA $100,560 90

Which Industries Hire Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School

The bulk of career/technical education teachers, secondary school work in these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Educational Services 101,890 n/a
Health Care and Social Assistance 120 n/a
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School industries

Tech Stack

  • Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

What the Workplace Is Like

The on-the-job environment of career/technical education teachers, secondary school reflects the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Contact With Others
  • Public Speaking
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Frequency of Decision Making

Education and Training

Entry-level career/technical education teachers, secondary school positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Future career/technical education teachers, secondary school often complete programs in:

Education

8 programs across 1 majors

References

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 25-2032.00 (Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School).

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