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Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Associate degreeLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $63,820 Median per year · $30.68/hr Most earn $41,960–$108,620

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Develop curricula and plan course content and methods of instruction.
  • Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work, or other training.
  • Acquire, maintain, and repair laboratory equipment and tools.
  • Prepare outlines of instructional programs and training schedules and establish course goals.
  • Participate in conferences, seminars, and training sessions to keep abreast of developments in the field, and integrate relevant information into training programs.
  • Serve on faculty and school committees concerned with budgeting, curriculum revision, and course and diploma requirements.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 8,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Junior colleges38.1%
  • Technical and trade schools37.0%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools14.5%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals4.4%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Associate degreeExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

This is not an entry-level job. People usually earn an associate degree, work in their trade for about 4 to 6 years, and then start teaching, so the full path often takes around 6 to 8 years after high school.

  1. High school diploma with hands-on technical courses

    4 years

    Taking shop, drafting, or other career-technical classes builds the basic skills and interest you will need for a trade program.

  2. Associate degree in a technical field (such as welding, automotive technology, or cosmetology)

    2 years

    A two-year program teaches both the skills of the trade and the knowledge you need to pass them on to others.

  3. Automotive Service Technician

    4-6 years

    Working in your trade for several years builds the real-world experience that schools look for. Many people in this field work as skilled tradespeople first, and the same path applies to other trades like welding, machining, or cosmetology.

  4. Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary

    Ongoing

    You teach vocational courses to adult and post-high-school students, using your work experience to show them how the job is really done.

Where it can lead

  1. Instructional Coordinator

    2-4 years of experience first

    You shift from teaching a class to planning curriculum and training across a whole program or school, which usually requires a master's degree.

  2. Training and Development Specialist

    2-4 years of experience first

    You design and run training for employees, often at a company, using your teaching and trade experience in a corporate setting.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, drafting, or other career-technical classesThese classes let you try out different trades and show you which hands-on work you enjoy most.
  • Join a skills club such as SkillsUSA or a similar trade-focused clubClubs like this build teamwork, leadership, and confidence, and they often include competitions that show your skills.
  • Take a part-time or summer job at a garage, workshop, or salonEven a basic starter job helps you learn how a real shop runs and gives you experience that schools and employers notice.
  • Volunteer to help teach younger students or peersHelping a classmate or leading a small group practice is a simple way to see whether you enjoy explaining skills to others.
  • Ask your career-technical teacher about local trade programsYour current teacher can point you toward nearby associate degree or certificate programs in your area of interest.

In college

  • Enroll in an associate degree program in your tradeA two-year technical degree is the typical starting point for this career, and it teaches both hands-on skills and how to explain them.
  • Work in your trade through a part-time job or internshipHands-on work now builds the 4 to 6 years of experience that employers and schools expect before teaching.
  • Earn an industry certification in your fieldCertifications, such as those offered for auto technicians or welders, show that you have verified skills and can be added to your resume.
  • Take a course in education or public speakingClasses that teach how to explain ideas and manage a classroom prepare you for the teaching side of the job.
  • Join a student organization related to your tradeClubs and professional student groups let you meet instructors and working professionals who can give advice and sometimes lead to job or internship leads.

Tips for getting started

  • Get real work experience in your trade early. Teachers in this field are valued for the years they spent doing the work, so part-time or summer jobs in your trade count.
  • Ask a current instructor in a trade program what their day looks like and what they wish they had known. This helps you decide whether teaching appeals to you as much as the hands-on work.
  • Consider earning a teaching or training certificate once you are working in the field, since many schools value teaching skills alongside technical skills.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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