Quick answer: The Knoxville metro employs about 340 career and technical education teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state department of education.
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Teacher certification is set by each state’s education agency. For career and technical education specifically, documented trade experience and an industry license or credential often carry much of the requirement, with pedagogy coursework completed through an alternative certification route. Educator preparation programs may be CAEP-accredited, and many states use Praxis examinations.
See the Tennessee licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state department of education.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 161 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School Earn in Knoxville
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School in the Knoxville area earn a median $63,530 per year, below the national median of $66,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
CTE Teaching Pay in Knoxville, TN
Metric
Knoxville metro
Tennessee
National
Median annual wage
$63,530
$61,700
$66,270
10th percentile
$50,980
$49,480
$50,040
25th percentile
$51,810
$52,120
$60,590
75th percentile
$63,530
$65,500
$80,060
90th percentile
$76,120
$77,450
$101,340
Employment
340
2,940
111,420
Location quotient
1.13
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Knoxville, TN metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Knoxville median of $63,530 is below the national median of $66,270, and above the Tennessee statewide median of $61,700 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.13 means career and technical education teachers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do career and technical education teachers make in Knoxville?
The median annual wage for career and technical education teachers in the Knoxville, TN metro area is $63,530, below the national median of $66,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many career and technical education teachers work in the Knoxville area?
The Knoxville, TN metro area employs about 340 career and technical education teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do career and technical education teachers in Knoxville need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Teacher certification is set by each state's education agency. For career and technical education specifically, documented trade experience and an industry license or credential often carry much of the requirement, with pedagogy coursework completed through an alternative certification route. Educator preparation programs may be CAEP-accredited, and many states use Praxis examinations. Confirm current requirements with your state department of education.
Can I study cte teaching online from Knoxville?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state department of education.
Is Knoxville a better market than the rest of Tennessee?
The Knoxville metro median is $63,530 against a statewide median of $61,700 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School (SOC 25-2032), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
