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Salary comparison

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education: Who Earns More?

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations out-earn Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys by $150 a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys land at $63,820 and Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations at $63,970. The education gap is real: career/technical education teachers, postsecondary programs typically require bachelor's degree, while elementary school teachers, except special education programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys is Wisconsin ($82,620); for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations it's Washington ($102,350).

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Median salary
$63,820
$63,970
Hourly rate
$30.68/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$41,960
$47,960
Senior level (90th %)
$108,620
$104,340
Education required
Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
114,110
1,388,390
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
1%
Category
Education
Education
Top-paying state
Wisconsin
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary median pay.

State
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
Massachusetts
$78,780
$94,000
Washington
$77,530
$102,350
Alaska
$77,310
$79,260
Minnesota
$76,920
$76,350
California
$76,630
$99,650
New York
$75,170
$85,760
New Jersey
$72,440
$78,200
Oregon
$65,430
$77,130
Rhode Island
$65,210
$90,930
Pennsylvania
$63,160
$77,060
Delaware
$62,400
$75,920
Maryland
$62,060
$77,680
Ohio
$60,600
$77,370
Connecticut
$59,420
$80,600
District of Columbia
$59,220
$96,580

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations?

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations earn more nationally. The median is $63,820 for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys versus $63,970 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations, a difference of $150. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary or Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education?

Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary typically requires bachelor's degree. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys get paid the most?

Wisconsin is the top-paying state for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys at $82,620/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary vs. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Massachusetts, Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys earn $78,780 vs. $94,000 for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary salary breakdownView →Full Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education salary breakdownView →Best cities for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondarys by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Educations by take-home payExplore →How to become a career/technical education teachers, postsecondaryGuide →How to become a elementary school teachers, except special educationGuide →