Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Accounting Teacher, Adjunct Instructor, Adult Education Instructor, Adult Education Teacher, After School Instructor, Apparel Machinery Instructor, Apparel Manufacture Instructor, Architectural Drafting 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.
What career/technical education teachers, postsecondary do
Typical 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.
- Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work, or other training.
- Integrate academic and vocational curricula so that students can obtain a variety of skills.
- Select and assemble books, materials, supplies, and equipment for training, courses, or projects.
- Conduct on-the-job training classes or training sessions to teach and demonstrate principles, techniques, procedures, or methods of designated subjects.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary
The median annual wage for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary is $63,820 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $41,960 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $108,620. The mean annual wage is $72,060.
The mean hourly wage of $34.00 is 4.7× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $63,820 → in 3 years $69,600 → in 5 years $73,700 → in 10 years $85,100 (10-year range $73,200–$98,800). The model assumes pay growth of +2.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary United States | 専門学校教員 Japan | 職業訓練指導員 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $63,820 | ¥5.03M ≈ $31,959 | ¥5.03M ≈ $31,959 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $85,100 | ¥6.17M | ¥6.18M |
| Outlook score | 47 | 52 | 52 |
| AI replacement risk | 32% Low | 39% Low | 36% Low |
| Workers | 114K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.