Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for career/technical education teachers, secondary schools across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $72,680 ≈ $35/hr
National median salary $66,270
Total employment 111,420 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -1.8%
Decline
Annual openings 6,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 103,400 → 101,500 (-1,900)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$98,310
- Connecticut$96,750
- Massachusetts$93,230
- California$89,160
- New York$87,100
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$55,040
- Mississippi$57,060
- North Carolina$57,540
- Kansas$57,650
- Iowa$58,090
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $98,310 | $101,180 | $47 | +35.3% | 3,460 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $96,750 | $100,810 | $47 | +33.1% | 1,910 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $93,230 | $98,020 | $45 | +28.3% | 3,130 |
| 4 | California | $89,160 | $80,620 | $43 | +22.7% | 3,260 |
| 5 | New York | $87,100 | $79,820 | $42 | +19.8% | 7,610 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $86,430 | $83,770 | $42 | +18.9% | 2,320 |
| 7 | Illinois | $85,750 | $77,950 | $41 | +18% | 2,780 |
| 8 | Maryland | $84,450 | $78,320 | $41 | +16.2% | 690 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $82,630 | $81,820 | $40 | +13.7% | 90 |
| 10 | Vermont | $79,560 | $79,220 | $38 | +9.5% | 220 |
| 11 | Ohio | $79,000 | $79,230 | $38 | +8.7% | 5,130 |
| 12 | Delaware | $78,570 | $79,230 | $38 | +8.1% | 560 |
| 13 | Alaska | $78,420 | $78,130 | $38 | +7.9% | 170 |
| 14 | Georgia | $77,190 | $78,760 | $37 | +6.2% | 1,680 |
| 15 | Virginia | $75,850 | $75,580 | $36 | +4.4% | 3,500 |
| 16 | Oregon | $75,840 | $78,380 | $36 | +4.3% | 750 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $74,810 | $75,760 | $36 | +2.9% | 4,840 |
| 18 | Michigan | $74,710 | $77,400 | $36 | +2.8% | 1,800 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $73,760 | $72,120 | $35 | +1.5% | 1,150 |
| 20 | Maine | $73,670 | $78,050 | $35 | +1.4% | 170 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $73,010 | $76,320 | $35 | +0.5% | 450 |
| 22 | Colorado | $72,880 | $72,750 | $35 | +0.3% | 1,250 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $72,460 | $71,650 | $35 | -0.3% | 880 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $71,990 | $74,310 | $35 | -0.9% | 1,420 |
| 25 | Utah | $70,410 | $72,380 | $34 | -3.1% | 730 |
| 26 | Arizona | $69,120 | $62,980 | $33 | -4.9% | 660 |
| 27 | Nevada | $67,990 | $64,510 | $33 | -6.5% | 150 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $67,290 | $66,750 | $32 | -7.4% | 100 |
| 29 | Texas | $66,370 | $64,610 | $32 | -8.7% | 32,250 |
| 30 | Wyoming | $66,120 | $62,570 | $32 | -9% | 210 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $64,990 | $63,180 | $31 | -10.6% | 1,310 |
| 32 | Florida | $64,760 | $62,140 | $31 | -10.9% | 6,820 |
| 33 | Idaho | $64,350 | $60,510 | $31 | -11.5% | 1,140 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $63,870 | $61,130 | $31 | -12.1% | 330 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $63,650 | $61,300 | $31 | -12.4% | 1,530 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $63,110 | $61,780 | $30 | -13.2% | 1,000 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $62,660 | $61,500 | $30 | -13.8% | 640 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $62,030 | $61,700 | $30 | -14.7% | 2,940 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $61,940 | $58,800 | $30 | -14.8% | 1,170 |
| 40 | Missouri | $61,890 | $59,300 | $30 | -14.8% | 2,000 |
| 41 | Montana | $61,610 | $55,190 | $30 | -15.2% | 260 |
| 42 | Alabama | $60,110 | $59,470 | $29 | -17.3% | — |
| 43 | West Virginia | $58,540 | $57,760 | $28 | -19.5% | 1,000 |
| 44 | Indiana | $58,480 | $56,390 | $28 | -19.5% | 1,310 |
| 45 | Iowa | $58,090 | $57,660 | $28 | -20.1% | 640 |
| 46 | Kansas | $57,650 | $58,300 | $28 | -20.7% | 1,050 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $57,540 | $58,600 | $28 | -20.8% | 2,650 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $57,060 | $57,910 | $27 | -21.5% | 1,770 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $55,040 | $56,070 | $26 | -24.3% | 360 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 357 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $126,160 | $111,070 | — |
| 2 | Fresno, CA | $105,570 | $106,750 | 260 |
| 3 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $103,580 | $101,170 | 130 |
| 4 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $103,240 | $105,290 | 120 |
| 5 | New Haven, CT | $102,990 | $97,800 | 300 |
| 6 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $102,420 | $95,980 | 190 |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $102,180 | $102,730 | 1,430 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $101,800 | $112,550 | — |
| 9 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $101,620 | $96,610 | 510 |
| 10 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $101,250 | $95,860 | 1,730 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing career/technical education teachers, secondary schools (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $100,940 | $99,360 | 1,550 |
| 2 | Elementary and Secondary Schools, State Government Owned | $100,940 | $99,610 | 1,540 |
| 3 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $100,720 | $94,730 | 1,890 |
| 4 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $82,960 | $84,150 | 150 |
| 5 | Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $76,070 | $78,140 | 50 |
| 6 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $72,230 | $76,960 | 480 |
| 7 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $72,230 | $76,960 | 480 |
| 8 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $68,780 | $73,810 | 340 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $66,410 | $72,900 | 107,400 |
| 10 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | $66,340 | $72,730 | 109,790 |
| 11 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $66,270 | $72,680 | 111,420 |
| 12 | Educational Services | $66,250 | $72,670 | 110,710 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do career/technical education teachers, secondary school make in the U.S.?
The median career/technical education teachers, secondary school salary in the United States is $66,270 per year (mean $72,680), and about 80% earn between $50,040 and $101,340.
How much do career/technical education teachers, secondary school make per hour?
Roughly $35 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $72,680 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays career/technical education teachers, secondary school the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for career/technical education teachers, secondary school at $98,310 per year (median $101,180).
What is the job outlook for career/technical education teachers, secondary school?
Employment is projected to change -1.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 6,200 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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