Kentucky·Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-1194

Best Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Kentucky, ranked by enrollment

Teach vocational courses intended to provide occupational training below the baccalaureate level in subjects such as construction, mechanics/repair, manufacturing, transportation, or cosmetology, primarily to students who have graduated.

22 schools in Kentucky run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,490 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,080 in Kentucky across about 1,560 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProfessorInstructorCosmetology InstructorHVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor)TeacherMotor TeacherSales TeacherDriver Trainer
Graduates / yr
1,490
in Kentucky
Median pay · Kentucky
$61,080
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,560
people employed
Schools
22
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
52%
across those schools
Median net price
$17,427
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Kentucky that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

8 programs in Kentucky that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Kentucky (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Kentucky page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 49.0205In Kentucky
840
56.4%
14$42,812$7,572
2
CIP 13.1320In Kentucky
362
24.3%
1$43,033$26,044
3
CIP 11.0802In Kentucky
127
8.5%
2$33,504$27,000
4
CIP 11.0801In Kentucky
54
3.6%
2$33,504$27,000
5
CIP 13.1301In Kentucky
39
2.6%
1$43,033$26,044
6
CIP 13.1319In Kentucky
35
2.3%
4$43,033$26,044
7
CIP 13.1303In Kentucky
24
1.6%
1$43,033$26,044
8
CIP 43.0202In Kentucky
9
0.6%
1$48,952$12,750

Top 22 schools in Kentucky

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 4 of the 22 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Louisville
Louisville, KY Public · 2 feeder programs
377Trade and Industrial Teacher Education$56,18861%79%
2Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
112Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration42%$18,82480%
3Ashland Community and Technical College
Ashland, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
111Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor51%
4Hopkinsville Community College
Hopkinsville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
111Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor45%
5Jefferson Community and Technical College
Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
107Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor35%
6Gateway Community and Technical College
Florence, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
94Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor59%
7Owensboro Community and Technical College
Owensboro, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
93Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor54%
8Hazard Community and Technical College
Hazard, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
83Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor$43,81848%
9Elizabethtown Community and Technical College
Elizabethtown, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
64Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor59%
10Somerset Community College
Somerset, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
61Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor43%
11Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Lexington, KY Public · 2 feeder programs
58Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design43%
12Murray State University
Murray, KY Public · 2 feeder programs
53Agricultural Teacher Education61%86%
13Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Prestonsburg, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
34Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor38%
14Madisonville Community College
Madisonville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
33Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor49%
15Maysville Community and Technical College
Maysville, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
27Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor56%
16University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
24Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education50%$11,67299%
17Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY Public · 2 feeder programs
15Fire Services Administration$66,61750%78%
18University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
13Technical Teacher Education$35,28271%93%
19American National University - Louisville
Louisville, KY Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
12Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor50%$17,427
20Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College
Cumberland, KY Public · 1 feeder programs
5Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor47%
21Summit Salon Academy - Lexington
Lexington, KY Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Technical Teacher Education55%$14,22481%
22Sullivan University
Louisville, KY Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design71%$29,703

All 22 schools in Kentucky

Every school in Kentucky with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Kentucky that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of LouisvilleLouisvillePublic3772
Campbellsville UniversityCampbellsvillePrivate not-for-profit1121
Ashland Community and Technical CollegeAshlandPublic1111
Hopkinsville Community CollegeHopkinsvillePublic1111
Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeLouisvillePublic1071
Gateway Community and Technical CollegeFlorencePublic941
Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboroPublic931
Hazard Community and Technical CollegeHazardPublic831
Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtownPublic641
Somerset Community CollegeSomersetPublic611
Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexingtonPublic582
Murray State UniversityMurrayPublic532
Big Sandy Community and Technical CollegePrestonsburgPublic341
Madisonville Community CollegeMadisonvillePublic331
Maysville Community and Technical CollegeMaysvillePublic271

What career/technical education teachers, postsecondary earn in Kentucky

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Kentucky
$61,080
Mean annual
$59,040
Jobs in state
1,560
What the range looks like
10th pct$44,630Median$61,08090th pct$73,270
Versus the national median
-4.3%

U.S. median $63,820. Kentucky pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.07×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Kentucky

Paducah, KY-IL
$77,170median
80 jobs
Owensboro, KY
$62,710median
50 jobs
Lexington-Fayette, KY
$62,370median
160 jobs
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
$51,630median
180 jobs
Bowling Green, KY
$59,610median
40 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+0.7%
Little or no change
Openings per year
8,800
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
800
122,200 → 123,000
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary page.

How to become a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience needed
Less than 5 years

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Top skills

Learning StrategiesActive ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive LearningCritical Thinking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Kentucky

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 15 majors mapped to Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary13 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 01.0207Irrigation Management Technology/Technician(no graduates reported)
  • 01.0504Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming
  • 01.0509Farrier Science(no graduates reported)
  • 11.0801Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design
  • 11.0802Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration
  • 11.0803Computer Graphics
  • 13.1301Agricultural Teacher Education
  • 13.1303Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education
  • 13.1309Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education
  • 13.1310Sales and Marketing Operations/Marketing and Distribution Teacher Education
  • 13.1319Technical Teacher Education
  • 13.1320Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
  • 13.1327Health Occupations Teacher Education
  • 43.0202Fire Services Administration
  • 49.0205Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor

Common questions

Answers for people weighing career/technical education teachers, postsecondary programs in Kentucky.

What degree do you need to become a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor, which awarded 840 degrees in Kentucky in 2024-25, 56.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Career/Technical Education Teacher, Postsecondary?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Ground Transportation, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Computer Software and Media Applications, Fire Protection. Together they graduate about 1,490 people a year in Kentucky.

How much do career/technical education teachers, postsecondary earn in Kentucky?+

The median is $61,080 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.3% below the U.S. median of $63,820. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for career/technical education teachers, postsecondary growing?+

BLS projects a +0.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 8,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Kentucky?+

22 institutions in Kentucky reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do career/technical education teachers, postsecondary work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Instructor, Cosmetology Instructor, HVAC-R Instructor (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, And Refrigeration Instructor) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1194.

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary in other statesFloridaGeorgiaCaliforniaUtahTexasAlabamaMassachusettsPennsylvania

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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