How To Become A Vocational Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a vocational instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Vocational instructors teach students in vocational schools. They impart practical knowledge used in various trades, providing training in the technical skills necessary in different vocational training subjects. They perform on-the-job training on industrial sites such as power plants or factories. They demonstrate techniques required in certain trades, give lectures on theory and terminology, and evaluate their students' progress.

You will instruct your students in various subjects they will need to apply during their work, such as mathematics, sciences, blueprint drawing, among many others. You will show them how to use certain tools, how to maintain equipment, and inform them about the safety regulations that apply to various professions and working conditions.

Finding apprentice or job placements for your students is also something you might be responsible for. You will need a degree in an area relevant to the subjects you teach. You will also need to be certified as a teacher, and having working experience in the areas you instruct is also a requirement.

ScoreVocational InstructorUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $41,610

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.9

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.23%

Black or African American 7.27%

Hispanic or Latino 10.35%

Unknown 4.95%

White 65.92%

Gender

female 50.61%

male 49.39%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a vocational instructor

Explore vocational instructor education requirements

Most common vocational instructor degrees

Bachelor's

49.4 %

Associate

21.7 %

Master's

10.8 %

Start to develop specific vocational instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Plumbing	24.20%
Course Objectives	23.44%
Developmental Disabilities	6.08%
Vocational Training	5.05%
Safety Standards	3.90%

Complete relevant vocational instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New vocational instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a vocational instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real vocational instructor resumes.

Research vocational instructor duties and responsibilities

Accomplish creating new work processes for the students to follow; successfully bringing the required ASHP and the PTCB require standards.
Utilize blackboard management system to encourage online discussions and manage grades.
Teach all requirements necessary to prepare for the certification exam: proper aseptic sterile product technique for compounding and iv preparation.
Provide yearly first aid and CPR training for students and faculty.

Get vocational instructor experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a vocational instructor. The most common roles before becoming a vocational instructor include cashier, customer service representative team lead and substitute teacher.

Prepare your vocational instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your vocational instructor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a vocational instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable vocational instructor resume templates

Build a professional vocational instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your vocational instructor resume.