Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 6/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Postsecondary CTE Teachers:
48.1%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
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Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
This result is backed by strong agreement across multiple data sources.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forCareer/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
$61,490 median salary•8,800 annual openings•SOC Code: 25-1194.00
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 7 sources.
Career and Technical Education teachers at the postsecondary level land in the "Somewhat Resilient" category because their work splits into two very different zones when it comes to AI. The hands-on, in-person parts of the job, like supervising welding labs, mentoring students through real workplace skills, and making split-second safety calls, are extremely hard for AI to touch, scoring only 8 to 12 percent automation risk.
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Career and Technical Education teachers at the postsecondary level land in the "Somewhat Resilient" category because their work splits into two very different zones when it comes to AI. The hands-on, in-person parts of the job, like supervising welding labs, mentoring students through real workplace skills, and making split-second safety calls, are extremely hard for AI to touch, scoring only 8 to 12 percent automation risk.
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Postsecondary CTE Teachers
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Postsecondary CTE Teachers jobs?
Good news first: in postsecondary career and technical education (CTE), AI is mostly being used to help teachers — not replace them. The tasks getting automated are the paperwork-heavy ones, like keeping records, prepping lesson materials, and integrating curriculum. A nationally representative survey found that six in 10 teachers reported using an AI tool for their work, and teachers who use AI at least weekly estimate they save 5.9 hours per week — about six weeks per school year.
Majorities of teachers who use AI for various tasks say it improves the quality of their everyday work, ranging from 57% for grading and feedback to 74% for administrative work.
The hands-on parts of CTE — supervising welding labs, watching students cook, running on-the-job training — are much harder to automate, which is why those tasks score only 8–12% automation risk. The Association for Career and Technical Education is actively training instructors to use AI for tasks like Program of Study review, intelligent scheduling, performance evaluations, predictive budgeting, and streamlining reporting workflows [1]. In classrooms, AI is showing up as a curricular tool: culinary instructors using AI to design recipes from photos of fridge contents, and HVAC programs training students on AI-powered predictive-maintenance tools used in industry [2].
ACTE's outreach lead estimates about half of CTE programs now have some AI use, though much of it is still basic "Googlification" [2] — meaning teachers are augmented, not replaced.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Postsecondary CTE Teachers?
Adoption is moving fast on the administrative side but slower in the workshop. On the speed-it-up side, commercial tools are cheap and widely available — Canvas integrated native OpenAI tools and agents in August 2025, and the California State University system partnered with Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to build AI-ready workforces [3]. At FETC 2026, K–12 and postsecondary leaders highlighted how AI and emerging technologies are reshaping career pathways and helping students get hands-on with professional-grade software [4].
What slows adoption: CTE is inherently hands-on, so safety, supervision, and ethics matter a lot. Higher-ed leaders say the pace of change is the biggest challenge, along with cost, security, privacy, and environmental concerns [3]. Some experts also warn that if the AI bubble pops or public attitudes sour, academic appetite for AI could shrink [3].
The bottom line for you: CTE instructors who learn to use AI for the boring admin stuff will likely have more time for what humans do best — mentoring, demonstrating skills, and keeping a student's fingers safe near a saw. Those uniquely human, hands-on judgment skills are exactly what employers (and AI models) cannot replicate, which makes this career resilient and worth pursuing.
Sources
Will AI replace Postsecondary CTE Teachers?
Not entirely. We think AI will take over some tasks, but not the whole job.
Our 48.1% AI Resilience Score reflects that reality. CTE teachers at the postsecondary level are already seeing AI handle the tedious stuff: lesson prep, record-keeping, scheduling, and reporting workflows [1]. Teachers who use AI weekly estimate saving nearly six hours per week, and most say it improves the quality of their everyday work [2]. That is genuinely good news. It means more time for the parts of the job that actually matter.
And those parts are hard to automate. Watching a student run a welding bead, correcting a knife grip in a culinary lab, or knowing when someone is about to make a dangerous mistake near heavy equipment: those moments require a human in the room. About half of CTE programs now have some AI use, but most of it is still basic administrative support, not instruction [2]. Platforms like Canvas are integrating AI tools quickly [3], but the hands-on supervision and mentorship at the core of CTE cannot be replicated by software.
The honest picture: this role is changing, and instructors who learn to use AI for the boring work will be better positioned. But the job itself is not going away.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Postsecondary CTE Teachers
These articles highlight how AI is reshaping the role of postsecondary Career/Technical Education (CTE) teachers. For instance, the potential for AI to create workplace simulations could enhance hands-on learning experiences, while tools like AI career coaches can guide students in exploring career paths. As AI continues to evolve, CTE teachers must adapt to integrate these technologies into their curricula, ensuring they remain relevant and effective in preparing students for future job markets. Embracing AI can lead to a resilient and innovative teaching approach in CTE.
FETC 2026: How CTE and AI Are Defining the Future of Learning
edtechmagazine.com • 1/14/2026
Artificial intelligence is transforming career and technical education and showing students real-world career pathways.
KDE’s Career and Technical Education Advisory Committee discusses future of artificial intelligence in education
www.kentuckyteacher.org • 11/26/2025
Members of the Kentucky Department of Education's (KDE's) Career and Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Committee discussed the future of...
Microsoft researchers have revealed the 40 jobs most exposed to AI—and even teachers make the list
fortune.com • 7/31/2025
Sorry, Gen Z: AI is expected to soon reshape dozens of popular professions—and possibly make some tasks obsolete.
Could AI Transform Career-Technical Education?
marketbrief.edweek.org • 12/5/2024
Advocates and investors see potential for the technology to generate workplace simulations and match students with apprenticeship programs.
UO professor develops AI Career Coach to assist Oregon students
news.uoregon.edu • 11/13/2024
Last spring Zach Knapp gave his middle school pupils an assignment: have conversations with an artificial intelligence chatbot about possible future careers...
More Career Info
Career: Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
They teach students practical skills for specific jobs, like welding or cooking, to help them succeed in their chosen careers.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$61,490
Jobs (2024)
122,200
Growth (2024-34)
+0.7%
Annual Openings
8,800
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Review enrollment applications and correspond with applicants to obtain additional information.
2
Supervise and monitor students' use of tools and equipment.
3
Supervise independent or group projects, field placements, laboratory work, or other training.
4
Conduct on-the-job training classes or training sessions to teach and demonstrate principles, techniques, procedures, or methods of designated subjects.
5
Acquire, maintain, and repair laboratory equipment and tools.
6
Observe and evaluate students' work to determine progress, provide feedback, and make suggestions for improvement.
7
Determine training needs of students or workers.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
