CareerFacts

All careers › Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School

Business education teacher: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$65,030median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $49,200lowest 10% earn less
  2. $58,69025th percentile
  3. $65,030median
  4. $79,99075th percentile
  5. $101,890top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

A middle school business education teacher falls under the BLS category Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School. The median pay was $65,030 a year[1], and employment is projected to decline 0.5% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-0.5%[2]
Openings per year
1,000[5]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[6]

How much do business education teachers make?

BLS counts middle school business education teachers in the category Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School. In May 2025, the median wage was $65,030 a year, so half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean (average) was $71,590[7]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[4].

Percentile Annual wage
10th[3] $49,200
25th[3] $58,690
75th[3] $79,990
90th[3] $101,890

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,200[3]. A percentile is a boundary line, and BLS publishes percentile wages rather than a starting salary[8]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this category, not hourly wages[9].

These figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[10].

Pay by state and city

Among the 34 states with published data, Washington had the highest median at $103,290, followed by Rhode Island at $97,240 and Connecticut at $95,680[11]. North Dakota was last in the list at $46,530[11].

Texas had the most jobs at 5,230, followed by New York (1,930), North Carolina (760), Washington (720) and Pennsylvania (690)[12]. Texas had a median of $63,330[11].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA had the highest median at $103,490, then Pittsburgh, PA at $100,030[13]. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area had the most jobs at 1,250, with a median of $65,310[14].

Show median pay in 34 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Washington[11]$103,290720
Rhode Island$97,24050
Connecticut$95,680120
Massachusetts$93,260n/a
Utah$86,890n/a
Ohio$86,560590
New York$86,4501,930
Maryland$84,160210
Minnesota$81,460160
Illinois$80,700240
Pennsylvania$77,980690
Wisconsin$76,860570
Georgia$73,020560
New Jersey$68,280n/a
Virginia$67,460640
Colorado$66,310470
Iowa$63,360n/a
Texas$63,3305,230
Wyoming$62,710100
Nebraska$62,580370
South Carolina$62,160170
Tennessee$61,950110
Arkansas$60,76090
Michigan$60,650n/a
Florida$58,760610
Kansas$58,56030
Alabama$58,410640
Louisiana$56,440120
Mississippi$55,210270
Indiana$54,96070
Oklahoma$54,090110
Missouri$52,630240
North Carolina$52,270760
North Dakota$46,530220

How to become a business education teacher

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education for entry, with less than 5 years of related work experience and no on-the-job training[6]. O*NET places the job in Job Zone Four, where considerable preparation is needed[15].

The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for career and technical education teachers covers a wider group of occupations than this page[16]. Its training details suggest this path:

License rules vary by state. They generally involve a bachelor's degree and a minimum GPA, student teaching, a background check, and tests of general teaching and subject knowledge[21][22][23][24][25]. Some states offer an alternative route for people who have a bachelor's degree or field experience but lack education courses[26].

Teachers who prepare students for a licensed or certified trade may need to hold that credential too, and may take yearly professional development to keep their license[27].

What business education teachers do

O*NET describes the job as teaching occupational, vocational, career or technical subjects to middle or junior high school students[28]. Typical tasks include:

Job titles reported by workers include Business Education Teacher, Computer Technology Teacher and Industrial Arts Teacher[30].

Where they work

Teachers in the wider career and technical education group work in middle, high and postsecondary schools, and some work in technical, trade and business schools[31]. Local elementary and secondary schools were the largest employer group in 2025, at 47%[32].

Middle and high school teachers generally work during school hours, and may meet with parents, students and staff before and after classes[33]. Teachers usually work the traditional 10-month school year with a 2-month summer break and a short midwinter break[34]. In districts with year-round schedules, teachers typically work 9 weeks, then have 3 weeks off[35].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of these teachers to decline 0.5% from 2025 to 2035, a change of about 100 jobs[2]. All occupations together are projected to grow 3.5%[36]. These projection counts include self-employed workers, while the OEWS count of about 16,870 jobs does not[37][2].

BLS still expects about 1,000 openings a year on average[5]. These openings include jobs that come open when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3% of workers leave the labor force and 3.2% move to a different occupation[38].

Is it a good fit?

The median pay is above the all-occupations median, and the typical entry education is a bachelor's degree[1][4][6]. The job usually draws on field experience, and public schools may ask for a state license[20][18]. Employment is projected to shrink slightly, but openings are still expected each year[2][5]. The facts fit someone who has experience in a trade or business subject and likes teaching it to young students[29][18].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[39].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a business education teacher make?
The median for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School was $65,030 a year in May 2025, and the mean was $71,590[1][7].
What degree do you need to be a business education teacher?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education[6]. Public schools may also require a state teaching certification or license[20].
Is business education teaching in demand?
BLS projects a 0.5% decline from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all occupations[2][36]. About 1,000 openings a year are expected[5].
What is the highest paying state for career and technical education teachers in middle school?
Washington had the highest median among states with published data, at $103,290 a year[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School in the US was $65,030 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School is projected to decline 0.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 16,600 to 16,600 jobs (a change of -100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School: 10th percentile $49,200, 25th percentile $58,690, 75th percentile $79,990, 90th percentile $101,890. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,000 openings for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: Less than 5 years; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School was $71,590 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS publishes only annual wages for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School jobs: Texas 5,230; New York 1,930; North Carolina 760; Washington 720; Pennsylvania 690. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School (areas with at least 100 jobs): Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $103,490; Pittsburgh, PA $100,030; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $98,950; Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $96,880; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $88,000; Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $83,050; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $80,860; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $79,690. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School jobs: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,250 (median $65,310); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,010 (median $98,950); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 970 (median $67,290); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 410 (median $77,320); San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 400 (median $62,310); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 340 (median $57,100). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 25-2023.00: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. O*NET OnLine
  16. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Career and Technical Education Teachers" covers Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Work Experience in a Related Occupation. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. O*NET description of Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET task list for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School. O*NET OnLine
  30. O*NET 25-2023.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Agriscience Technology Instructor (Agriculture Science Technology Instructor), Business Education Teacher, Career and Technology Education Teacher (CTE Teacher), Career Discovery Teacher, Computer Technology Teacher, Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher (FACS Teacher), Industrial Arts Teacher, Industrial Technology Teacher. O*NET OnLine
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of career and technical education teachers in 2025: Elementary and secondary schools; local 47%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  35. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  36. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  37. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 16,870 people were employed as Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  38. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School: 3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.2% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  39. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.