Career and technical education (CTE) teachers create lesson plans, teach practical skills, show students how to apply classroom knowledge through hands-on activities, demonstrate and supervise safe use of tools and equipment, grade work, discuss progress with parents and counselors and enforce safety rules. Much of the teaching happens in workshops and labs.
The short answer: low exposure, with flat demand for reasons other than AI. The ILO's 2025 index rates the closest group, vocational education teachers, at minimal exposure with a score of 0.35. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with about 15,500 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed CTE teachers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Vocational Education Teachers | Minimal exposure | 0.35 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for career and technical education teachers, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Career and technical education teachers | Little or no change (0%) | About 15,500 |
The BLS says continued interest in CTE programs is likely to be tempered as schools require students to take more academic classes and as the number of middle and high school students is expected to decline. It adds that public schools often depend on government funding for these programs, and when budgets are reduced, jobs may be limited. Most projected openings come from replacing workers who leave or retire.
Where AI is helping
- Drafting lesson plans and assignments for a teacher to adapt.
- Preparing quizzes and written materials.
- Writing progress notes for parents and counselors.
What stays with CTE teachers
- Hands-on skills: showing students how to do the work, not just describe it.
- Safety: demonstrating and supervising the safe use of tools and equipment.
- Judgment: watching each student work and correcting technique.
- Checking AI help: generated lessons and safety steps can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
The BLS ties the flat outlook to school course requirements, fewer students and funding, not to AI. The hands-on, safety-focused core of the job stays with the teacher. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace teachers?, will AI replace instructional coordinators? and will AI replace adult education teachers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for career and technical education teachers at $65,150 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: bachelor's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace career and technical education teachers?
The BLS projects little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with about 15,500 openings a year, and ties this to course requirements, fewer students and funding, not to AI.
How exposed are CTE teachers to AI?
The closest ILO group, vocational education teachers, has minimal exposure with a score of 0.35.
Why is demand flat?
The BLS says schools require more academic classes, student numbers are expected to decline and CTE programs depend on government funding.
What do CTE teachers do?
They plan lessons, teach practical skills through hands-on activities, supervise safe use of tools and grade work.