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Best Master's in Technical Teacher Education Programs by Local Teacher Pay

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the median wage for elementary teachers in each program metro area, from BLS. The top 10 out of 10 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Wilmington University

    New Castle, DEPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 3Master's/yr
    • $78,570Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Education in Career and Technical Education (9-12)
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Wilmington University offers a Master of Education in Career and Technical Education for grades 9-12, a Delaware-approved route toward the Skilled and Technical Sciences Teacher credential. The 37-credit degree splits into two options, a Certification Program track for candidates pursuing licensure and an Instructional Program track for those focused on their teaching practice, which lets applicants align the degree with whether they need the state credential. Structured field work is built in, beginning with an E-Folio prerequisite and culminating in a capstone that offers either a student-teaching clinical placement or a project-based action research assignment. Candidates who choose the clinical route complete the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers, tying the degree to demonstrated classroom competence. The College of Education and Liberal Arts is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and students confirm credential applicability with the Delaware Department of Education or their own state's authority. It is a master's degree in technical teacher education at the master's level, based in Delaware.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, where elementary teachers earn a median $78,570, roughly $76,613 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  2. 2

    State University of New York at Oswego

    Oswego, NYPublicOnline available

    • 3Master's/yr
    • $78,560Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Education in Career and Technical Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The State University of New York at Oswego offers an online Master of Science in Education in Career and Technical Education that leads to eligibility for professional New York State teacher certification in a candidate's chosen occupational subject. The 30 credit-hour program, typically completed in about two years, offers individualized concentration pathways across agricultural education, business and marketing, family and consumer sciences, health careers, technical education, and trade education, most keyed to grades 7-12. Because it is built around New York licensing requirements, it reads as a focused certification route for occupational specialists moving into public school teaching rather than a general studies degree. Rolling admission lets candidates start when they are ready, and graduate assistantships along with a Diversity Graduate Fellowship Program help offset cost. The program is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation. This program offers a master's degree in technical teacher education in New York.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Syracuse, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $78,560, roughly $82,054 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  3. 3

    University of Georgia

    Athens, GAPublic

    • 16Master's/yr
    • $76,600Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Education in Workforce Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The University of Georgia offers a fully online Master of Education in Workforce Education designed for practicing career and technical education professionals who want to advance rather than enter the field. The 36 credit-hour program welcomes candidates from across the CTE specialization areas, including agricultural, business, engineering and technology, family and consumer sciences, health science technology, marketing, and trade and industrial education, so it draws a broad cohort of already-credentialed instructors. Built around professional growth for licensed CTE practitioners, it stops short of initial certification, which UGA routes through a separate M.A.T. option instead. The online delivery, with two courses recommended each term, is paced for working educators, and the program has been ranked among the top ten nationally for online master's degrees in education by U.S. News & World Report. It is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and accredited through SACSCOC. It is a master's degree in technical teacher education at the master's level, based in Georgia.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 16 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Athens-Clarke County, GA, where elementary teachers earn a median $76,600, roughly $82,063 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  4. 4

    Western Michigan University

    Kalamazoo, MIPublicOnline available

    • 7Master's/yr
    • $63,450Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Western Michigan University offers a Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education that can double as an on-ramp into the profession for post-baccalaureate students new to the field. Its distinctive feature is an Initial Teacher Certification pathway embedded within the degree, so candidates new to CTE complete certification requirements as the first part of their master's work, with admission gated by the Michigan Professional Readiness Exam and the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification for those seeking the credential. Focus areas span program administration, curriculum and instruction for career-related training, school-to-work initiatives, student leadership development, and work with special populations, giving the degree a practical, workforce-oriented character. For candidates who do not need certification, the department offers a related 30-credit Workforce Education and Development master's option. The hybrid format makes the program approachable for working adults moving into or advancing within CTE. As a master's degree in technical teacher education, it adds to the master's-level technical teacher education options in Michigan.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 7 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, where elementary teachers earn a median $63,450, roughly $66,902 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  5. 5

    Murray State University

    Murray, KYPublic

    • 6Master's/yr
    • $60,610State teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Career and Technical Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Murray State University offers a Master of Science in Career and Technical Education delivered entirely online for CTE teachers looking to upgrade credentials and advance in rank. The 30 credit-hour program requires no GRE and closes with a creative component tied to the student's own professional work instead of a traditional thesis, signaling a practice-focused design meant to feed directly back into the classroom. It serves already-certified educators, functioning as an approved upgrade pathway for Georgia Trade and Industrial Certificates and offering a Kentucky tuition waiver for traditionally certified and occupational-based teachers pursuing a rank change. A generous eight-year completion window gives working teachers flexibility to finish at their own pace. A related 12-credit Graduate Certificate in CTE is also available for those wanting a shorter credential. As a master's degree in technical teacher education, it adds to the master's-level technical teacher education options in Kentucky.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kentucky statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,610, roughly $67,226 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  6. 6

    Auburn University

    Auburn, ALPublicOnline available

    • 30Master's/yr
    About the program

    Auburn University, a public institution in Auburn, Alabama, offers graduate study in technical teacher education within the career and technical education field. As a master's degree in technical teacher education, it adds to the master's-level technical teacher education options in Alabama.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 30 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  7. 7

    Drexel University

    Philadelphia, PAPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 4Master's/yr
    About the program

    Drexel University, a private nonprofit institution in Philadelphia, offers graduate study in technical teacher education within the career and technical education field. This program offers a master's degree in technical teacher education in Pennsylvania.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  8. 8

    Athens State University

    Athens, ALPublicOnline available

    • 30Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Career and Technical Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Athens State University offers a fully online Master of Education in Career and Technical Education built for instructors who teach adults in technical and vocational fields rather than K-12 classrooms. The 30 credit-hour program centers on instructional technology and training analysis, so it reads as preparation for trainers and postsecondary CTE educators sharpening how they deliver skills-based instruction. Concentrations let candidates tailor the degree toward particular technical tracks, while the absence of a GRE requirement lowers the barrier for working practitioners returning to study. Because the degree does not lead to licensure, certification, or endorsement, it functions as professional development for people already established in a trade or training role. The online format keeps it accessible for adults balancing teaching or industry work with graduate study. It is a master's degree in technical teacher education at the master's level, based in Alabama.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 30 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  9. 9

    University of Idaho

    Moscow, IDPublic

    • 4Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with Career and Technical Education Emphasis
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The University of Idaho offers a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a Career and Technical Education emphasis aimed at experienced teachers formalizing their standing in the field. Designed for candidates with at least three years of professional teaching experience, the 30-credit, non-thesis program provides a pathway to Idaho teacher certification across CTE areas such as business and marketing, engineering and technology, family and consumer sciences, and occupational education, with state certification exams required. A one-semester classroom internship under faculty mentorship anchors the coursework in real practice rather than theory alone. The hybrid format keeps it workable for educators already teaching while they study. For those wanting to go further, the department also offers a 45-credit Ed.S. track alongside the master's, giving candidates room to extend their preparation. It is a master's degree in technical teacher education at the master's level, based in Idaho.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  10. 10

    Ferris State University

    Big Rapids, MIPublic

    • 8Master's/yr
    • Master of Science in Career and Technical Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Ferris State University offers a Master of Science in Career and Technical Education for instructors and trainers already working in technical and occupational fields who want to strengthen their teaching and leadership. The 30 semester-hour program can typically be finished in about twelve months and splits into three concentrations, an Instructor track, a Postsecondary Administration track, and a Training and Development track, so candidates can steer the degree toward teaching, administering, or corporate training roles. It opens to career and technical instructors across allied health, business, home economics and technical education, as well as industrial training and development personnel, without requiring prior teaching experience. Professional licensure in the applicant's occupational specialty is expected for admission where applicable, and the degree builds on that expertise rather than issuing a new teaching license. Coursework is delivered on campus in a compact, cohort-friendly timeline. As a master's degree in technical teacher education, it adds to the master's-level technical teacher education options in Michigan.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 8 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site

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