Career Explorer Education
Changing shape
Career/technical education teachers, middle school
Teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the middle, intermediate, or junior high school level.
Changing faster than most: more resilient than 33% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is moderate (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by -0.5% by 2035, expected to shrink. The work leans on emotional intelligence and creative vision.
AI can do many of the tasks, and hiring is expected to grow slower than average or to shrink. The job is likely to change, so build the human parts of it.
- Median pay (2025)
- $65,030
- Job growth to 2035
- -0.5%
- Openings a year
- 1,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 16,600
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Prepare informational or instructional materials
- Advise others on educational or vocational matters
- Monitor individual behavior or performance
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures
- Assess student capabilities, needs, or performance
- Collaborate in the development of educational programs
What the work looks like
- Instruct students individually and in groups, using various teaching methods, such as lectures, discussions, and demonstrations.
- Prepare materials and classrooms for class activities.
- Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
- Adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet students' varying needs and interests.
- Use computers, audio-visual aids, and other equipment and materials to supplement presentations.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Kindergarten teachers, except special educationChanging shape, Index 58, -0.3%
- Preschool teachers, except special educationHuman edge, growing, Index 83, +4.5%
- Special education teachers, preschoolChanging shape, Index 45, +2.4%
- Health education specialistsGrows with AI, Index 61, +5.6%
Also known as: Business Education Teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher (FACS Teacher), Industrial Technology Teacher, Technology Education Teacher (Tech Ed Teacher), Agriscience Technology Instructor (Agriculture Science Technology Instructor), Career and Technology Education Teacher (CTE Teacher), Career Discovery Teacher, Computer Technology Teacher.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.