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Job outlook for vocational education teachers in the United States
Are vocational education teacher jobs in demand?
Vocational education teacher job and salary trends over time
Vocational education teacher jobs over time
Vocational education teacher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,775 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,419 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,451 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,548 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,593 | 0.00% |
Average vocational education teacher salary over time
Vocational education teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,598 | $22.40 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $46,038 | $22.13 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $44,949 | $21.61 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $43,763 | $21.04 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $42,763 | $20.56 | +2.1% |
Vocational education teacher jobs by state
Most common states for vocational education teachers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 183 | 26% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 216 | 16% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 767 | 13% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 738 | 13% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 123 | 13% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,540 | 12% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 672 | 12% |
| 8 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 246 | 12% |
| 9 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,022 | 11% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 782 | 11% |
| 11 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 109 | 10% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 730 | 9% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 582 | 9% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 283 | 9% |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 273 | 9% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 177 | 9% |
| 17 | Vermont | 623,657 | 58 | 9% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 55 | 9% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 980 | 8% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 279 | 8% |
Vocational Education Teacher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of vocational education teacher experts
Saint Mary's College of California
Texas Woman's University
University of Wyoming
Missouri State University
What general advice would you give to a Vocational Education Teacher?
Peter Alter Ph.D.: Public school salary systems are determined by years of teaching (sometimes called Steps) and level of education. Get a Master's degree. Add an authorization via coursework. Anything that will move you over a column on the salary schedule. Then figure out your side hustle- coaching, tutoring, doing something completely away from education. This may be challenging in your first year but as you get acclimated, you are going to have more time that you will be able to monetize.
Gina Anderson
Associate Dean for Educator Preparation and PartnershipsTexas Woman's University
TWU College of Professional Education
What Vocational Education Teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Gina Anderson: The daily workload of an educator varies greatly by the grade level, subject area, and needs of the students served. If the grade level is a "tested" year, this means that the expectations and pressures are typically higher in that standardized test scores are used to make high-stakes decisions about the student's progress, the teacher's effectiveness, and the school's and district's reputation. Similarly, if a grade level is one associated with a benchmark (all students reading at grade level) or for foundational skills (learning to read). Secondary teachers are also held responsible for end of year progress of their students - especially for subjects like English, Science, and Math. In the state of Texas, educators spend a minimum of four hours a day on teaching/instruction. Teachers must also spend time planning their instructional lessons, grading students' work, attending to students' and accommodations for learning English as a second language or for special education. The accommodations are not only in practice but also in required paperwork. Furthermore, teachers spend time responding to the behavioral, emotional, and mental health needs of their students; often partnering with other resource personnel in their school or district. Teachers also work with parents, guardians, or care-givers and communicate via meetings, phone, email and in-person visits. Educators are required to engage in a minimum number of professional development hours per academic year as well. In the state of Texas, educators are required to complete 150 continuing professional education clock hours over a five year renewal period. Many teachers spend time on the weekends and during the summer months attending to their teaching or professional development responsibilities. Some educators take on a second job during the summer months to supplement their income, as well. Finally, the above is the minimum expected of teachers. Many, if not most teachers, truly care about their students and engage far beyond the minimum by sponsoring extracurricular activities and building relationships with students. Excellent educators also are often tapped for additional roles such as serving as a mentor or cooperating teacher for pre-service teachers engaging in field work as required by their educator preparation program. When all is factored in to a typical day in the life of an educator, including instructional time, preparation, paperwork, accommodations, compliance with rules and regulations, professional development, relationship-building, and supporting future educators, it is usually well above a typical 8 hour workday and 40 hour work week.
Dr. Andrea Burrows
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Professor, Science Education, School of Teacher EducationUniversity of Wyoming
College of Education
How do you envision technology impacting Vocational Education Teachers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Andrea Burrows: The definition of technology can be a tricky one; for example, see a newly published article by Ellis et al. (2020) in CITE Journal Science. The authors explore technology perspectives relating to vocational education, instructional technology, computing, and practitioners of science, mathematics, and engineering. In all of these spaces, technology has and continues to be important to education, and in the next five years, it has the potential to dramatically impact the field. It is important for the educational community to understand what technology is and how it is being assessed for effectiveness before making technology decisions and deciding if it has an impact or not.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Vocational Education Teachers?
Chris Craig: Yes, particularly in helping students with disabilities find their place in workforce development tied to essential jobs in the community. I also believe we need to focus on the unique challenges of navigating virtual learning opportunities to be used in job shadowing and other career planning approaches.