Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School
Also called: Business Education Teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher (FACS Teacher), Industrial Technology Teacher, Technology Education Teacher (Tech Ed Teacher)Teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 16 of its 31 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 0.5% by 2035. 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, 1.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Elementary and middle school teachers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 100% 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 | $58,410 | $48,240 to $80,370 | 640 |
| Arkansas | $60,760 | $54,280 to $65,570 | 90 |
| Colorado | $66,310 | $58,000 to $81,700 | 470 |
| Connecticut | $95,680 | $73,890 to $107,230 | 120 |
| Florida | $58,760 | $55,590 to $76,410 | 610 |
| Georgia | $73,020 | $59,220 to $80,630 | 560 |
| Illinois | $80,700 | $62,730 to $96,470 | 240 |
| Indiana | $54,960 | $49,180 to $77,320 | 70 |
| Iowa | $63,360 | $59,190 to $70,840 | not published |
| Kansas | $58,560 | $50,490 to $61,580 | 30 |
| Louisiana | $56,440 | $50,600 to $61,860 | 120 |
| Maryland | $84,160 | $56,520 to $97,560 | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $93,260 | $67,660 to $107,440 | not published |
| Michigan | $60,650 | $60,650 to $88,360 | not published |
| Minnesota | $81,460 | $54,990 to $88,000 | 160 |
| Mississippi | $55,210 | $48,100 to $59,710 | 270 |
| Missouri | $52,630 | $46,550 to $71,190 | 240 |
| Nebraska | $62,580 | $55,550 to $76,000 | 370 |
| New Jersey | $68,280 | $59,290 to $68,280 | not published |
| New York | $86,450 | $70,200 to $108,470 | 1,930 |
| North Carolina | $52,270 | $47,100 to $57,880 | 760 |
| North Dakota | $46,530 | $46,530 to $61,160 | 220 |
| Ohio | $86,560 | $63,940 to $100,160 | 590 |
| Oklahoma | $54,090 | $48,350 to $62,600 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,980 | $64,830 to $100,590 | 690 |
| Rhode Island | $97,240 | $92,110 to $100,850 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $62,160 | $62,160 to $74,740 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $61,950 | $57,080 to $73,120 | 110 |
| Texas | $63,330 | $60,670 to $69,090 | 5,230 |
| Utah | $86,890 | $63,420 to $93,720 | not published |
| Virginia | $67,460 | $59,400 to $82,170 | 640 |
| Washington | $103,290 | $83,020 to $118,750 | 720 |
| Wisconsin | $76,860 | $59,950 to $80,960 | 570 |
| Wyoming | $62,710 | $58,240 to $69,590 | 100 |
Nationally: $65,030. 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 16 of its 31 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. | 0.02% |
| Not much | Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students. | Not published |
| AI + software | Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicate those objectives to students. | Not published |
| AI + software | Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests. | Not published |
| AI + software | Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations. | Not published |
See all 31 tasks
| Not much | Instruct and monitor students in the use and care of equipment and materials to prevent injuries and damage. | Not published |
| Not much | Guide and counsel students with adjustments, academic problems, or special academic interests. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Prepare students for later educational experiences by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare, administer, and grade tests and assignments to evaluate students' progress. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with parents or guardians, other teachers, counselors, and administrators to resolve students' behavioral and academic problems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Enforce all administration policies and rules governing students. | Not published |
| Not much | Meet with other professionals to discuss individual students' needs and progress. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and investigate. | Not published |
| Not much | Meet with parents and guardians to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for their children and their resource needs. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe and evaluate students' performance, behavior, social development, and physical health. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare for assigned classes and show written evidence of preparation upon request of immediate supervisors. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare objectives and outlines for courses of study, following curriculum guidelines or requirements of states and schools. | Not published |
| AI + software | Assign and grade class work and homework. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan and supervise class projects, field trips, visits by guest speakers or other experiential activities, and guide students in learning from those activities. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare reports on students and activities as required by administration. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend staff meetings and serve on committees, as required. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select, store, order, issue, inventory, and maintain classroom equipment, materials, and supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend professional meetings, educational conferences, and teacher training workshops to maintain and improve professional competence. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with other staff members to plan and schedule lessons promoting learning, following approved curricula. | Not published |
| AI alone | Collaborate with other teachers and administrators in the development, evaluation, and revision of middle school programs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide students with disabilities with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities, such as restrooms. | Not published |
| Not much | Sponsor extracurricular activities, such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform administrative duties, such as school library assistance, hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading. | 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. 2 of the 31 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 31 tasks fall under 22 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
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Advise others on educational or vocational matters | |||
| Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Collaborate in the development of educational programs | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise |
Show all 22 activities
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Provide support or encouragement to others | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Set up classrooms, facilities, educational materials, or equipment | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Serve on organizational committees |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Teaching material44%
- An explanation or answer13%
- A plan or strategy8%
- A document or report8%
- A game or something interactive4%
How they worked with Claude
27% 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, middle school 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 in from
of 298 moves in
- 1 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 9%
- 2 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 3 Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Very high +1.8% 6%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 5 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 5%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% some college
- 2% associate's
- 44% bachelor's
- 45% master's
- 3% professional degree
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Elementary and middle school teachers” · 33,916 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Elementary and middle school teachers”
8 programs, such as Agricultural Teacher Education, Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education and Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education.
See all
- Agricultural Teacher Education
- Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics 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
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
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
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/25-2023.00