Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1194) earn a median $63,820 a year ($30.68 an hour) in the United States, with 114,110 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Wisconsin.
What career/technical education teachers, postsecondary do
Career and technical education teachers at the postsecondary level teach vocational courses that provide occupational training below the bachelor's level, in subjects such as construction, mechanics and repair, manufacturing, transportation, and cosmetology, mainly to students who have graduated from or left high school. Programs of this kind are run by public or private schools whose main business is academic or vocational education. Instructors observe students' work and give feedback, present lectures with visual aids, supervise use of tools and equipment, give oral, written, or performance tests, provide individualized or remedial instruction, and keep grade and attendance records. Training and development specialists, adult basic education and English as a second language instructors, and postsecondary teachers classified elsewhere in the 25-1000 group are counted in other categories. Alternate titles reveal the range of trades taught, including apparel machinery, architectural drafting, and accounting.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is an associate's degree or similar two-year credential.
Also called: Accounting Teacher, Adjunct Instructor, Adult Education Instructor, Adult Education Teacher, After School Instructor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.17 | $24.19 | $30.68 | $39.60 | $52.22 | $34.64 | 114,110 |
| Annual | $41,960 | $50,320 | $63,820 | $82,360 | $108,620 | $72,060 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where career/technical education teachers, postsecondary earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $23.78 | $37.17 | $39.72 | $48.04 | $59.55 | $42.75 | 2,000 | 0.68 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $49,470 | $77,320 | $82,620 | $99,930 | $123,850 | $88,930 | ||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $18.20 | $27.76 | $38.27 | $44.38 | $49.84 | $35.15 | 1,980 | 0.86 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $37,860 | $57,740 | $79,610 | $92,310 | $103,660 | $73,120 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $23.63 | $29.87 | $37.88 | $47.67 | $59.05 | $39.72 | 1,660 | 0.46 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $49,150 | $62,120 | $78,780 | $99,150 | $122,830 | $82,620 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.50 | $28.08 | $37.27 | $47.00 | $62.40 | $40.14 | 3,610 | 1.02 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $50,960 | $58,410 | $77,530 | $97,760 | $129,790 | $83,500 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $30.79 | $36.82 | $37.17 | $47.63 | $51.29 | $40.22 | 1,120 | 3.45 | 4.70 |
| Annual | $64,040 | $76,590 | $77,310 | $99,070 | $106,680 | $83,650 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.44 | $24.03 | $31.34 | $42.89 | $51.36 | $33.98 | 12,620 | 0.90 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $38,360 | $49,990 | $65,180 | $89,210 | $106,820 | $70,680 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $22.02 | $25.05 | $36.84 | $55.99 | $81.10 | $43.43 | 11,040 | 0.61 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $45,800 | $52,110 | $76,630 | $116,450 | $168,680 | $90,340 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.64 | $23.17 | $28.84 | $39.25 | $60.62 | $33.09 | 7,600 | 0.77 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $38,780 | $48,190 | $59,990 | $81,630 | $126,090 | $68,820 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $21.48 | $24.92 | $30.00 | $35.97 | $39.43 | $30.44 | 6,510 | 1.32 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $44,680 | $51,840 | $62,390 | $74,820 | $82,010 | $63,320 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $24.24 | $27.96 | $36.14 | $46.10 | $59.47 | $39.10 | 5,250 | 0.54 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $50,410 | $58,160 | $75,170 | $95,880 | $123,700 | $81,330 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Chico, CA | Hourly | $23.29 | $28.76 | $78.03 | $82.15 | $99.84 | $62.05 | 50 | 0.65 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $48,440 | $59,820 | $162,300 | $170,870 | $207,680 | $129,060 | ||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | $17.09 | $27.85 | $52.12 | $65.61 | $65.61 | $46.22 | 250 | 1.12 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $35,550 | $57,920 | $108,400 | $136,460 | $136,460 | $96,150 | ||||
| El Centro, CA | Hourly | $20.17 | $29.66 | $51.26 | $67.17 | $75.34 | $48.05 | 60 | 0.91 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $41,960 | $61,690 | $106,620 | $139,720 | $156,700 | $99,940 | ||||
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | Hourly | $31.55 | $37.56 | $51.14 | $51.14 | $51.14 | $43.49 | 120 | 1.47 | 2.00 |
| Annual | $65,620 | $78,130 | $106,370 | $106,370 | $106,370 | $90,460 | ||||
| Lebanon, PA | Hourly | $30.07 | $35.54 | $50.52 | $50.52 | $57.78 | $44.52 | 130 | 2.48 | 3.37 |
| Annual | $62,550 | $73,930 | $105,090 | $105,090 | $120,180 | $92,600 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $24.57 | $29.22 | $37.76 | $47.53 | $60.58 | $40.00 | 4,820 | 0.51 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $51,110 | $60,770 | $78,540 | $98,870 | $126,010 | $83,210 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.02 | $23.76 | $36.27 | $55.88 | $83.62 | $43.02 | 3,670 | 0.59 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $45,800 | $49,410 | $75,450 | $116,230 | $173,940 | $89,480 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $21.76 | $24.50 | $30.34 | $47.64 | $59.53 | $36.44 | 3,160 | 0.70 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $45,260 | $50,970 | $63,100 | $99,080 | $123,830 | $75,800 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $18.32 | $23.64 | $29.50 | $43.58 | $52.50 | $33.86 | 3,110 | 0.77 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $38,100 | $49,160 | $61,360 | $90,650 | $109,190 | $70,420 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $19.37 | $24.02 | $30.49 | $40.74 | $51.08 | $34.19 | 2,490 | 0.88 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $40,290 | $49,960 | $63,420 | $84,750 | $106,240 | $71,120 | ||||
Top industries employing career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
Technical and Trade Schools employ 40.2% of career/technical education teachers, postsecondary nationally (45,860 jobs) at a median $60,730 a year ($29.20 an hour), followed by Junior Colleges (37.2%) and Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (12.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical and Trade Schools NAICS 611500 | 45,860 | 40.2% | $60,730 | $29.20 |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 42,440 | 37.2% | $66,400 | $31.92 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 13,810 | 12.1% | $69,770 | $33.54 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 5,050 | 4.4% | $66,040 | $31.75 |
| Other Schools and Instruction NAICS 611600 | 2,210 | 1.9% | $69,690 | $33.50 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (114,110). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $59,840 for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $63,820 in May 2025, with employment of 105,440 and 114,110.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $59,840 | $28.77 | 105,440 |
| May 2022 | $59,840 | $28.77 | 103,100 |
| May 2023 | $62,060 | $29.84 | 111,180 |
| May 2024 | $61,490 | $29.56 | 111,150 |
| May 2025 | $63,820 | $30.68 | 114,110 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wisconsin profile | $39.72 | $82,620 | $49,470 | $123,850 | 2,000 | 0.68 | 0.93 |
| 2 | South Carolina profile | $38.27 | $79,610 | $37,860 | $103,660 | 1,980 | 0.86 | 1.17 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $37.88 | $78,780 | $49,150 | $122,830 | 1,660 | 0.46 | 0.62 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $37.27 | $77,530 | $50,960 | $129,790 | 3,610 | 1.02 | 1.39 |
| 5 | Alaska profile | $37.17 | $77,310 | $64,040 | $106,680 | 1,120 | 3.45 | 4.70 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $36.98 | $76,920 | $47,330 | $123,770 | 1,510 | 0.51 | 0.70 |
| 7 | California profile | $36.84 | $76,630 | $45,800 | $168,680 | 11,040 | 0.61 | 0.83 |
| 8 | New York profile | $36.14 | $75,170 | $50,410 | $123,700 | 5,250 | 0.54 | 0.74 |
| 9 | Wyoming profile | $35.68 | $74,210 | $46,710 | $119,310 | 360 | 1.28 | 1.74 |
| 10 | North Dakota profile | $35.37 | $73,570 | $43,680 | $104,290 | 430 | 1.00 | 1.36 |
| 11 | South Dakota profile | $35.07 | $72,940 | $45,840 | $85,100 | 350 | 0.77 | 1.04 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $34.83 | $72,440 | $49,390 | $101,060 | 2,590 | 0.60 | 0.82 |
| 13 | Colorado profile | $33.72 | $70,130 | $37,840 | $97,850 | 2,060 | 0.72 | 0.98 |
| 14 | Oklahoma profile | $32.24 | $67,060 | $47,990 | $104,170 | 3,040 | 1.78 | 2.43 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $31.46 | $65,430 | $45,260 | $132,100 | 1,140 | 0.58 | 0.79 |
| 16 | Rhode Island profile | $31.35 | $65,210 | $49,510 | $97,680 | 310 | 0.62 | 0.85 |
| 17 | West Virginia profile | $31.35 | $65,200 | $37,140 | $89,110 | 300 | 0.43 | 0.59 |
| 18 | Texas profile | $31.34 | $65,180 | $38,360 | $106,820 | 12,620 | 0.90 | 1.22 |
| 19 | New Hampshire profile | $31.27 | $65,040 | $49,040 | $128,800 | 220 | 0.32 | 0.44 |
| 20 | Arizona profile | $31.21 | $64,930 | $47,780 | $131,020 | 2,190 | 0.68 | 0.92 |
| 21 | Michigan profile | $30.50 | $63,440 | $46,350 | $121,690 | 3,480 | 0.79 | 1.08 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.37 | $63,160 | $44,390 | $103,010 | 4,780 | 0.79 | 1.07 |
| 23 | Alabama profile | $30.09 | $62,580 | $44,800 | $122,750 | 2,350 | 1.11 | 1.51 |
| 24 | Illinois profile | $30.04 | $62,480 | $37,810 | $121,630 | 4,420 | 0.72 | 0.99 |
| 25 | Vermont profile | $30.02 | $62,450 | $47,510 | $98,530 | 210 | 0.69 | 0.94 |
| 26 | Delaware profile | $30.00 | $62,400 | $50,950 | $99,140 | 190 | 0.39 | 0.53 |
| 27 | North Carolina profile | $30.00 | $62,390 | $44,680 | $82,010 | 6,510 | 1.32 | 1.80 |
| 28 | Tennessee profile | $29.96 | $62,310 | $38,640 | $91,170 | 2,140 | 0.65 | 0.89 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $29.94 | $62,270 | $45,080 | $96,210 | 1,170 | 0.75 | 1.02 |
| 30 | Maryland profile | $29.84 | $62,060 | $32,370 | $109,300 | 780 | 0.28 | 0.38 |
| 31 | Maine profile | $29.68 | $61,740 | $49,080 | $139,640 | 510 | 0.79 | 1.08 |
| 32 | Nevada profile | $29.68 | $61,740 | $32,430 | $99,230 | 950 | 0.61 | 0.83 |
| 33 | Kentucky profile | $29.37 | $61,080 | $44,630 | $73,270 | 1,560 | 0.78 | 1.07 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $29.14 | $60,600 | $40,520 | $98,990 | 3,440 | 0.62 | 0.84 |
| 35 | Nebraska profile | $29.08 | $60,490 | $49,280 | $100,080 | 470 | 0.46 | 0.62 |
| 36 | New Mexico profile | $29.08 | $60,490 | $43,490 | $177,330 | 1,070 | 1.23 | 1.68 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $29.00 | $60,320 | $40,110 | $76,630 | 3,920 | 0.80 | 1.09 |
| 38 | Florida profile | $28.84 | $59,990 | $38,780 | $126,090 | 7,600 | 0.77 | 1.04 |
| 39 | Idaho profile | $28.72 | $59,730 | $37,080 | $96,940 | 570 | 0.67 | 0.91 |
| 40 | Missouri profile | $28.67 | $59,640 | $37,950 | $95,970 | 1,630 | 0.55 | 0.75 |
| 41 | Connecticut profile | $28.57 | $59,420 | $46,090 | $105,190 | 1,130 | 0.66 | 0.90 |
| 42 | District of Columbia profile | $28.47 | $59,220 | $47,460 | $95,120 | ** | ** | ** |
| 43 | Indiana profile | $27.80 | $57,820 | $39,210 | $95,170 | 2,250 | 0.70 | 0.96 |
| 44 | Virginia profile | $27.80 | $57,820 | $41,600 | $83,110 | 1,860 | 0.45 | 0.62 |
| 45 | Montana profile | $27.54 | $57,270 | $37,870 | $88,120 | 430 | 0.83 | 1.14 |
| 46 | Louisiana profile | $27.16 | $56,480 | $41,460 | $75,190 | 780 | 0.41 | 0.55 |
| 47 | Hawaii profile | $25.00 | $51,990 | $39,860 | $64,210 | 70 | 0.11 | 0.15 |
| 48 | Utah profile | $24.39 | $50,740 | $22,520 | $76,670 | 2,280 | 1.32 | 1.79 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $24.36 | $50,670 | $33,010 | $76,920 | 1,030 | 0.89 | 1.21 |
| 50 | Arkansas profile | $24.10 | $50,120 | $35,290 | $79,910 | 1,550 | 1.19 | 1.62 |
| 51 | Kansas profile | $23.46 | $48,790 | $34,850 | $82,520 | 1,160 | 0.81 | 1.10 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1190), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 25-1194 Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-1194, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1194.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.