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Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors vs Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors if you want to teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in basic education, literacy, or English as a Second Language classes, or in classes for earning a high school equivalency credential. Consider Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary if you would rather 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…. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors and Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

National median pay (2025)
$61,540
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress and make suggestions for improvement.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
3,800
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 13.9% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors brief

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025)
$63,820
Route into the job
Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience
Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
8,000
Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on projected growth

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary is at -0.3% projected growth, compared with -13.9% projected growth for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors.

2

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary is at 8,000 annual openings, compared with 3,800 annual openings for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors.

3

Typical preparation differs.

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors: Bachelor's degree Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

4

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary is at $63,820, compared with $61,540 for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors.

33.9/ 100

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors

vs
48.8/ 100

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors vs Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

DimensionAdult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language InstructorsCareer/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)$61,540$63,820
Pay percentile50.2 percentile55 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-13.9%-0.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)3,8008,000
2025 employment41,100123,100
How you qualifyBachelor's degreeBachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 4Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.