Postsecondary Teachers

How to become a Postsecondary Career or Technical Education Teacher

Official title: Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Automotive Instructor, Automotive Technology Instructor, Cosmetology Instructor, Flight Instructor, HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor), Instructor, Professor, Teacher, Welding Instructor

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.

Main tasks

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.
Prepare reports and maintain records, such as student grades, attendance rolls, and training activity details.
Develop curricula and plan course content and methods of instruction.
Determine training needs of students or workers.

How to become one

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

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Education & Teaching degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 44 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $63,820 a year The middle half earn $50,320 to $82,360.
About 123,100 people work in this job now, and about 122,700 are projected by 2035. (-0.3%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Postsecondary Career or Technical Education Teacher?

How much does a Postsecondary Career or Technical Education Teacher earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $63,820 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $50,320 to $82,360.

Is a Postsecondary Career or Technical Education Teacher a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 123,100 people now and 122,700 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Postsecondary Career or Technical Education Teacher?

Usually. 94% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Postsecondary Career or Technical Education Teacher?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.