Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School vs Self-Enrichment Teachers: what changes?

Consider Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School if you want to teach occupational, vocational, career, or technical subjects to students at the secondary school level. Consider Self-Enrichment Teachers if you would rather teach or instruct individuals or groups for the primary purpose of self-enrichment or recreation, rather than for an occupational objective, educational attainment, competition, or fitness. Entry credentials differ: Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School, bachelor's degree; Self-Enrichment Teachers, high school diploma or equivalent. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School (less than 5 years) and Self-Enrichment Teachers (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School and Self-Enrichment Teachers. 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.