Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Also called: Cosmetology Instructor, HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor), Instructor, ProfessorTeach 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 14 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.3% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 94% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $62,580 | $49,510 to $85,580 | 2,350 |
| Alaska | $77,310 | $76,590 to $99,070 | 1,120 |
| Arizona | $64,930 | $49,490 to $77,500 | 2,190 |
| Arkansas | $50,120 | $40,510 to $70,470 | 1,550 |
| California | $76,630 | $52,110 to $116,450 | 11,040 |
| Colorado | $70,130 | $49,070 to $78,710 | 2,060 |
| Connecticut | $59,420 | $49,600 to $83,620 | 1,130 |
| Delaware | $62,400 | $62,400 to $75,730 | 190 |
| District of Columbia | $59,220 | $48,170 to $81,830 | not published |
| Florida | $59,990 | $48,190 to $81,630 | 7,600 |
| Georgia | $60,320 | $50,780 to $67,000 | 3,920 |
| Hawaii | $51,990 | $41,470 to $58,800 | 70 |
| Idaho | $59,730 | $46,560 to $78,480 | 570 |
| Illinois | $62,480 | $48,980 to $88,380 | 4,420 |
| Indiana | $57,820 | $48,140 to $81,610 | 2,250 |
| Iowa | $62,270 | $50,560 to $79,580 | 1,170 |
| Kansas | $48,790 | $46,540 to $64,280 | 1,160 |
| Kentucky | $61,080 | $49,670 to $63,860 | 1,560 |
| Louisiana | $56,480 | $46,500 to $61,090 | 780 |
| Maine | $61,740 | $57,290 to $81,890 | 510 |
| Maryland | $62,060 | $46,790 to $79,680 | 780 |
| Massachusetts | $78,780 | $62,120 to $99,150 | 1,660 |
| Michigan | $63,440 | $51,600 to $83,740 | 3,480 |
| Minnesota | $76,920 | $61,790 to $92,350 | 1,510 |
| Mississippi | $50,670 | $41,510 to $61,820 | 1,030 |
| Missouri | $59,640 | $49,320 to $74,700 | 1,630 |
| Montana | $57,270 | $47,690 to $76,300 | 430 |
| Nebraska | $60,490 | $57,260 to $75,940 | 470 |
| Nevada | $61,740 | $48,350 to $66,400 | 950 |
| New Hampshire | $65,040 | $58,180 to $110,770 | 220 |
| New Jersey | $72,440 | $59,950 to $82,400 | 2,590 |
| New Mexico | $60,490 | $47,960 to $83,200 | 1,070 |
| New York | $75,170 | $58,160 to $95,880 | 5,250 |
| North Carolina | $62,390 | $51,840 to $74,820 | 6,510 |
| North Dakota | $73,570 | $54,580 to $95,740 | 430 |
| Ohio | $60,600 | $48,590 to $81,870 | 3,440 |
| Oklahoma | $67,060 | $59,680 to $80,360 | 3,040 |
| Oregon | $65,430 | $50,570 to $98,550 | 1,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,160 | $50,060 to $85,830 | 4,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,470 | $31,290 to $61,200 | 1,530 |
| Rhode Island | $65,210 | $55,000 to $78,030 | 310 |
| South Carolina | $79,610 | $57,740 to $92,310 | 1,980 |
| South Dakota | $72,940 | $60,940 to $77,200 | 350 |
| Tennessee | $62,310 | $50,070 to $77,550 | 2,140 |
| Texas | $65,180 | $49,990 to $89,210 | 12,620 |
| Utah | $50,740 | $36,810 to $67,600 | 2,280 |
| Vermont | $62,450 | $55,270 to $78,720 | 210 |
| Virginia | $57,820 | $43,120 to $68,570 | 1,860 |
| Washington | $77,530 | $58,410 to $97,760 | 3,610 |
| West Virginia | $65,200 | $49,790 to $77,320 | 300 |
| Wisconsin | $82,620 | $77,320 to $99,930 | 2,000 |
| Wyoming | $74,210 | $52,210 to $104,370 | 360 |
Nationally: $63,820. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 14 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Present lectures and conduct discussions to increase students' knowledge and competence using visual aids, such as graphs, charts, videotapes, and slides. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement. | 0.07% |
| AI + software | Administer oral, written, or performance tests to measure progress and to evaluate training effectiveness. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare reports and maintain records, such as student grades, attendance rolls, and training activity details. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop curricula and plan course content and methods of instruction. | 0.04% |
| Not much | Provide individualized instruction and tutorial or remedial instruction. | 0.18% |
See all 20 tasks
| Not much | Select and assemble books, materials, supplies, and equipment for training, courses, or projects. | Not published |
| AI + software | Integrate academic and vocational curricula so that students can obtain a variety of skills. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine training needs of students or workers. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Supervise and monitor students' use of tools and equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Advise students on course selection, career decisions, and other academic and vocational concerns. | 0.05% |
| AI + software | Prepare outlines of instructional programs and training schedules and establish course goals. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Participate in conferences, seminars, and training sessions to keep abreast of developments in the field, and integrate relevant information into training programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work, or other training. | Not published |
| AI alone | Develop teaching aids, such as instructional software, multimedia visual aids, or study materials. | 0.03% |
| Not much | Conduct on-the-job training classes or training sessions to teach and demonstrate principles, techniques, procedures, or methods of designated subjects. | Not published |
| Not much | Acquire, maintain, and repair laboratory equipment and tools. | Not published |
| AI + software | Serve on faculty and school committees concerned with budgeting, curriculum revision, and course and diploma requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Arrange for lectures by experts in designated fields. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review enrollment applications and correspond with applicants to obtain additional information. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 9 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities |
Show all 15 activities
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Schedule operational activities | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Teaching material25%
- An explanation or answer21%
- A document or report8%
- A plan or strategy7%
- Math or a calculation7%
How they worked with Claude
15% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 158,024 moves out
- 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 7%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
- 4 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 196,146 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 4%
- 3 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 2%
- 4 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 2%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 2% high school
- 16% postsecondary certificate
- 7% some college
- 42% associate's
- 20% bachelor's
- 8% master's
- 5% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 36 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 3% high school
- 4% some college
- 2% associate's
- 16% bachelor's
- 28% master's
- 5% professional degree
- 42% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers” · 15,280 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Postsecondary teachers”
15 programs, such as Irrigation Management Technology/Technician, Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming and Farrier Science.
See all
- Irrigation Management Technology/Technician
- Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming
- Farrier Science
- Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
- Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration
- Computer Graphics
- Agricultural Teacher Education
- Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education
- Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education
- Sales and Marketing Operations/Marketing and Distribution Teacher Education
- Technical Teacher Education
- Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
- Health Occupations Teacher Education
- Fire Services Administration
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
80.3% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 66.7% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 9.2% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 1.0% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/25-1194.00