How to Become a Career and Technical Education Teacher
Teach the trades and technical skills that lead directly to careers, from health sciences to manufacturing. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $66,270 per year and declining projected job growth.
Median pay
$66,270/yr
Middle half
$60,590 to $80,060
Job growth
Declining
Openings / yr
6,200
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Technical Instruction
- Lab Management
- Learning Strategies
- Industry Experience
- Assessment
Helpful certifications
- State CTE teaching licensure + industry credentials
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
52/100
Work-life balance
57/100
Stress level
64/100
Related careers
- School Principal (K-12 Administrator)$105,870 median
- College Administrator (Postsecondary)$104,590 median
- School Psychologist$95,990 median
- Instructional Coordinator$77,440 median
- Teacher (Secondary Education)$72,040 median
- Librarian$68,270 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Career and Technical Education Teacher make?
The median pay for a Career and Technical Education Teacher is $66,270 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $60,590 and $80,060 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Career and Technical Education Teacher?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Education, Career and Technical Education, Engineering, and Health Sciences.
Is Career and Technical Education Teacher a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is declining (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 6,200 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Career and Technical Education Teacher use most?
Common skills for this role are Technical Instruction, Lab Management, Learning Strategies, Industry Experience, and Assessment.
Planning to become a Career and Technical Education Teacher?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).