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Career & Technical Education Teacher

$66,270
median / year
$50,040 – $101,340
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Teach career and technical subjects in middle or high school through classroom lessons, labs, and hands-on projects.

You may also see this posted as: Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher (FACS Teacher), Instructor, Teacher, Technology Education Teacher, Agricultural Education Teacher, Auto Technology Instructor (Automotive Technology Instructor).

Where you work

Public and private secondary schools, labs, shops, and classrooms.

The hours

School-day schedule plus planning, grading, and activities.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

DependabilityCooperationSocial OrientationOptimism

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DGoogle DocsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPoint

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$66,270
per year
What most earn
$50,040–$101,340
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~6,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
-1.8%
Declining
Working in the U.S.
111,420
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Bachelor's degree

Training path: Bachelor's degree, occupational experience, and a state teaching license.

Related work experience: Less than 5 years.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Public-school teachers need a state license; occupational experience may count toward an alternative pathway.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

TeachingIndustry knowledgeSafetyLesson planning

The honest take

Teaches hands-on career subjects such as health occupations, auto technology, construction, agriculture, or business in secondary schools.

Standard Occupational Classification 25-2032. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.