Best Master's in Technology Teacher Education Programs in 2026

All 14 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on degrees awarded and local teacher pay. CIP 13.1309.

A master's in technology and industrial arts teacher education program prepares educators to teach technology, engineering, and hands-on trades in middle and high schools, spanning subjects like manufacturing, robotics, construction, and design. Students include career-changers coming from industry who want a first teaching license and licensed teachers deepening their expertise in career and technical education. Graduates commonly teach in secondary career/technical education programs, where these skills-based courses connect classroom learning to real-world tools and industries.

14Programs analyzed
$66,270Median wage, career and technical education teachers
10Median degrees awarded / year
7Online or hybrid options
  • Most master's programs run 30 to 36 credits and take about two years, with many built to be completed part-time by working teachers.
  • 7 of 14 ranked programs offer an online or hybrid option.
  • Graduates most often work as career and technical education teachers, where the median wage is $66,270.
  • Graduate programs are ranked on degrees awarded, cost-of-living-adjusted local pay, and institutional standing, not the undergraduate stats that do not describe a master's.
  1. 1

    Valdosta State University

    Valdosta, GAPublic

    55score
    • 34Master's/yr
    • Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Adult and Career Education - Career and Technical Education track
    • Online
    About the program

    Valdosta State University offers a fully online Master of Education in Adult and Career Education with a Career and Technical Education track built for educators advancing within Georgia's CTE system. The CTE track sits alongside a Workforce Education and Development option, and its licensure payoff is concrete: it leads to an Advanced Teacher Certificate or upgrade for middle grades and secondary Career, Technical and Agricultural Education areas through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The 100 percent online delivery fits working teachers who want to raise their certification while remaining in their positions. An approved capstone experience caps the program, tying the coursework back to applied practice. For candidates seeking a technology and industrial education focus, this track serves as the institution's closest match to that specialization. A master's-level path in technology teacher education, it builds toward a career among career in Georgia.

    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 34 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  2. 2

    Valley City State University

    Valley City, NDPublicOnline available

    55score
    • 34Master's/yr
    • Master of Education, concentration in Technology Education
    • Online
    About the program

    Valley City State University offers an online Master of Education with a concentration in Technology Education, a 36 credit-hour program that lets educators tailor their study across concentrations in Secondary STEM Education, Elementary STEM Education, Career and Technical Education, and AI in Education. The range of concentration options positions it as a flexible professional degree for teachers working at different grade levels and settings. Its curriculum aligns with the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association's Standards for Technological Literacy and North Dakota's career and technical education standards, grounding the coursework in recognized disciplinary benchmarks. Students finish by completing an action research report and defending a comprehensive portfolio in an oral defense, a capstone sequence that ties classroom inquiry to reflective practice. Delivered online over six semesters and about two years, it fits working educators building expertise in STEM and technology instruction. As a master's degree in technology teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as career in North Dakota.

    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 34 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  3. 3

    State University of New York at Oswego

    Oswego, NYPublicOnline available

    54score
    • 7Master's/yr
    • $78,560Metro teacher pay
    • Technology Education (All Grades)
    • AAQEP accredited
    • Online
    About the program

    SUNY Oswego offers an online Master of Science in Education in Technology Education for all grades, delivered synchronously and completable in about 14 months of full-time study or two to four years part-time. The degree provides the requirements for New York State professional teaching certification to teach technology from kindergarten through grade 12, making it a clear advancement route for licensed and prospective technology teachers. Three completion tracks, a research project, a thesis, or directed coursework, let students lean toward research or toward additional applied study depending on their goals. Housed in one of the largest technology education departments in the country and accredited by AAQEP, the program carries substantial disciplinary depth and recognized standing. The synchronous online format keeps it accessible to working educators while preserving live instruction. A master's-level path in technology teacher education, it builds toward a career among career in New York.

    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 7 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
  4. 4

    SUNY Buffalo State University

    Buffalo, NYPublic

    50score
    • 12Master's/yr
    • $76,490Metro teacher pay
    • Technology Education
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Buffalo State University offers an on-campus Master of Science in Education in Technology Education that satisfies eligibility requirements for professional New York State teaching certification. The 30 credit-hour program keeps at least half of its coursework in technology education while allowing individually approved program variations, so students shape the degree with their academic adviser and department chair rather than choosing from fixed tracks. It culminates in either a Master's Project or a Master's Thesis worth three to six credits, giving graduates a substantial capstone that reflects either applied or research-oriented work. Accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation places the program within a recognized educator-preparation framework. The certification pathway and flexible, adviser-guided structure make it well suited to teachers advancing toward professional standing in New York. This master's-level technology teacher education program prepares graduates for work as career in New York.

    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 12 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, where elementary teachers earn a median $76,490, roughly $79,807 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

    Loyola University Maryland

    Baltimore, MDPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    49score
    • 24Master's/yr
    About the program

    Loyola University Maryland's School of Education does not appear to offer a dedicated Technology Teacher Education or Industrial Arts master's program matching this field. The school does offer a Master of Arts in Teaching for secondary licensure and an M.Ed. in Learning Design and Technology, though neither is a technology education teacher-licensure program in this area. Graduates of this technology teacher education program at the master's level often go on to work as career.

    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 24 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  6. 6

    Ball State University

    Muncie, INPublicOnline available

    46score
    • 19Master's/yr
    • $58,610Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education
    • Online
    About the program

    Ball State University offers an online Master of Arts in Career and Technical Education designed for educators seeking an advanced-level teaching license or looking to add a CTE area to a license they already hold. A generous block of 12 to 18 elective credits lets candidates tailor the degree toward a specialization, with options including Technology Leadership, CTE Teacher, Community College and Industrial Trainers, Computer Technology, and Family and Consumer Science. That elective flexibility gives the 30 to 36 credit-hour program the feel of a customizable professional credential rather than a fixed curriculum. Delivered entirely through distance education, it accommodates teachers and trainers balancing full-time work with graduate study. The licensure orientation makes it a practical vehicle for career advancement within technical and vocational education. Graduates of this technology teacher education program at the master's level often go on to work as career.

    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 19 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Muncie, IN, where elementary teachers earn a median $58,610, roughly $66,490 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
  7. 7

    Saint Cloud State University

    Saint Cloud, MNPublicOnline available

    44score
    • 15Master's/yr
    • Technology Education
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    St. Cloud State University offers a hybrid Master of Science in Technology Education built for people preparing to teach hands-on technical subjects in Minnesota's middle and high schools. Rather than sorting students into named tracks, the coursework moves through applied areas such as woods, metals, CAD design, manufacturing, and environmental instrumentation, giving graduates broad shop and design fluency. The program leads to PELSB licensure to teach technology education, and it lets credits from the university's CTE license program count toward the degree, which smooths the path for candidates already working toward a career and technical education credential. Federal TEACH Grant eligibility of up to $4,000 a year further signals that this is a pipeline into a high-need teaching field. The blend of applied labs and licensure focus makes it a practical route into technology education classrooms. This master's-level technology teacher education program prepares graduates for work as career in Minnesota.

    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 15 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  8. 8

    Central Connecticut State University

    New Britain, CTPublic

    40score
    • 8Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) - Teacher Education with Specialization in Technology Education (7-12)
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Central Connecticut State University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Teacher Education with a specialization in Technology Education for grades 7 through 12, one of several subject specializations within the broader M.A.T. The program leads to Connecticut state certification in Technology Education, requiring candidates to pass the relevant Praxis Subject Assessment and clear a criminal background check. Its cohort model begins each January and moves a group of candidates together through 49 credit hours, including a substantial 6-credit internship and a 3-credit field experience that keep the work grounded in real classrooms. That structure reads as a full preparation pipeline for aspiring technology teachers rather than a supplement for those already licensed. The catalog notes the program is no longer accepting applications, marking it as a pathway being wound down. As a master's degree in technology teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as career in Connecticut.

    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
  9. 9

    Pittsburg State University

    Pittsburg, KSPublicOnline available

    38score
    • 18Master's/yr
    • $56,450State teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Career and Technical Education - Technology and Engineering Education emphasis
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Pittsburg State University offers a Master of Science in Career and Technical Education with an emphasis in Technology and Engineering Education, one of several tracks that also include Technical Teacher Education and Family and Consumer Sciences. The 30-hour program leans hands-on and project-based, with coursework spanning engineering design, robotics, CAD, and STEM education that reflects the applied character of the technology and engineering field. Candidates choose between a thesis or a coursework-based completion option, letting them weight the degree toward research or toward practice. A hybrid structure with online and on-campus courses gives working educators flexibility while preserving lab-oriented, in-person experiences. The emphasis reads as a strong fit for teachers building depth in engineering and technology instruction. A master's-level path in technology teacher education, it builds toward a career among career in Kansas.

    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 18 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $56,450, roughly $62,675 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
  10. 10

    University of Maryland Eastern Shore

    Princess Anne, MDPublicHBCU

    38score
    • 5Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Career and Technology Education
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University of Maryland Eastern Shore offers a Master of Education in Career and Technology Education aimed squarely at practitioners already working as CTE teachers in Maryland education settings. The program supports Professional Teacher Education licensure and prepares educators for Advanced Professional Certification in the state, making it a clear advancement path for those growing within their careers. Its 30-credit structure can be completed in a single year full-time or across three years part-time, with a core of CTE curriculum, teaching methods, and management courses that candidates round out with electives. A capstone research requirement and a comprehensive examination anchor the degree in applied inquiry. Coursework is delivered in a hybrid format across UMES, the Maryland Center for Career and Technology Education Studies at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, and satellite sites, and optional graduate certificates in CTE licensure and in work-based learning extend its reach. As a master's degree in technology teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as career in Maryland.

    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 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  11. 11

    Jackson State University

    Jackson, MSPublicHBCU

    37score
    • 4Master's/yr
    • Master of Science in Education, concentration in Technology Education
    About the program

    Jackson State University offers a Master of Science in Education with a concentration in Technology Education, aimed at strengthening the skills of educators and administrators who already work in technical fields. With a single, focused concentration, the program reads as advanced professional development rather than a broad survey, sharpening competencies for those teaching or leading in secondary and post-secondary schools. Coursework is housed in the university's industrial systems area, tying the degree to applied technical instruction. Jackson State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award master's degrees, so graduates earn a recognized advanced credential. It fits practicing technology educators and program administrators looking to deepen their expertise and grow within their institutions. As a master's degree in technology teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as career in Mississippi.

    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 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  12. 12

    Widener University

    Chester, PAPrivate nonprofit

    36score
    • 1Master's/yr
    • Instructional Technology
    • Online
    About the program

    Widener University offers an online Master of Education in Instructional Technology that prepares educators to weave technology into learning programs across K-12 classrooms, higher education, and professional training settings. At 30 credits and completable in as little as one year or part-time, it is structured for working professionals who want to build technology-integration expertise on a flexible timeline. Coursework can lead to technology specialist certification, giving graduates a credential path tied to their new skills. Prospective applicants should note that Widener's Center for Education is no longer accepting new students into its graduate education programs as of this research, so availability is limited. As a master's degree in technology teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as career in Pennsylvania.

    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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  13. 13

    Utah State University

    Logan, UTPublicOnline available

    36score
    • 1Master's/yr
    • Technology and Engineering Education
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Utah State University offers a Master of Science in Technology and Engineering Education built around a unified core in technology, engineering, and career and technical education rather than separate named tracks. The 30-credit degree requires a thesis and typically takes about two years across five semesters, marking it as a research-oriented program for those who want to investigate teaching and learning in technical fields. It does not result in a teaching license for public schools, so it fits current educators, industry professionals, and future scholars pursuing advanced expertise rather than initial certification. Students can study fully online, with SARA approval nationwide, or on campus, and the department generally funds full-time master's students through teaching and research assistantships. That combination of funding, flexible delivery, and a thesis requirement gives the program a strong academic footing. This master's-level technology teacher education program prepares graduates for work as career in Utah.

    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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  14. 14

    North Carolina State University at Raleigh

    Raleigh, NCPublic

    21score
    • 1Master's/yr
    • $60,170Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Education in STEM Education, Engineering and Technology Education concentration
    • Online
    About the program

    North Carolina State University offers a fully online Master of Education in STEM Education with an Engineering and Technology Education concentration, one of three STEM tracks that share a common core alongside science and mathematics education. The 30 credit-hour, no-thesis structure signals a practice-focused degree, and its emphasis on design and creative problem solving reflects the applied nature of engineering and technology teaching. Coursework is delivered through lecture videos on NC State's WolfWare platform and typically finishes in two years of full-time study. The program may lead to professional licensure and meets North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requirements for advanced licensure at the master's level, so it suits teachers seeking to move up the state's licensure ladder. Backed by SACSCOC institutional accreditation, it reads as a flexible advancement option for working STEM educators. Graduates of this technology teacher education program at the master's level often go on to work as career.

    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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Raleigh-Cary, NC, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,170, roughly $61,300 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
How we rank

Each master's program is scored 0 to 100 against the other master's programs in its specialty on the measures the federal data actually supports at the graduate level: the number of master's degrees it awards each year (30%), counted as a sign that the program is established rather than rewarding sheer size: a program reaches full credit at about fifty degrees a year and awarding thousands more adds nothing, so a high-volume online degree factory earns no advantage here; the median wage for elementary teachers in the program's local area (30%), from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The wage is the metropolitan-area figure where the school sits in a metro (about 85% of programs) and the state figure otherwise, and it is adjusted for the local cost of living using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, so a high nominal salary in an expensive metro does not outrank a lower salary that goes further. It is a measure of local earning potential in the field, not the earnings of this program's graduates, which are not published. The third and largest measure is a program-strength score (40%), 0 to 100, led by the institution's Carnegie research classification, so a very-high-research university outranks a small teaching college on institutional standing. It adds a bonus where the program names a national programmatic accreditor like CAEP or AAQEP, but does not lean on it, because several states approve educator preparation through their own boards rather than CAEP, and a strong flagship should not be marked down for its state's accreditation choice. A clearly identified degree and licensure pathway adds a little more, and private for-profit programs, whose graduate outcomes are documented as weaker, take a deduction. Graduation rate, admission rate, and tuition are deliberately NOT scored: the first two are institution-wide undergraduate figures that describe the wrong population, and verified graduate tuition exists for too few programs to rank on fairly. Cost is shown on each card where we have it, but it does not affect the ranking. Every master's program is ranked and shown, with no per-state cap.

  • Established program size, degrees awarded per year, capped so volume alone does not win: 30%
  • Local-area teacher pay, cost-of-living adjusted (BLS + BEA): 30%
  • Program strength, institutional research standing plus accreditation, less a for-profit deduction: 40%

What careers can you get with a master's in Technology Teacher Education?

Graduates most often go on to work as career and technical education teachers. Nationally, the median wage for that occupation is $66,270, with most earning between $50,040 and $101,340, and roughly 111,420 people employed across the United States, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Technology teachers are reported within career and technical education teachers.

Read the full guide on how to become a career and technical education teacher, or see career and technical education teachers pay by state →

$66,270Median annual wage
$50,040 to $101,34010th to 90th percentile
111,420Employed nationally

Sources: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (SOC 25-2032), and BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Wages are national and not school-specific.

Career and Technical Education Teachers Salary by State in 2026

Median annual wage for career and technical education teachers, by state. Highest is Washington at $101,180, lowest is Puerto Rico at $53,160.

StateMedian wage
Washington$101,180
Connecticut$100,810
Massachusetts$98,020
New Jersey$83,770
Rhode Island$81,820
California$80,620
New York$79,820
Delaware$79,230
Ohio$79,230
Vermont$79,220
Georgia$78,760
Oregon$78,380
Maryland$78,320
Alaska$78,130
Maine$78,050
Illinois$77,950
Michigan$77,400
New Hampshire$76,320
Pennsylvania$75,760
Virginia$75,580
Wisconsin$74,310
Colorado$72,750
Utah$72,380
South Carolina$72,120
Minnesota$71,650
New Mexico$66,750
Texas$64,610
Nevada$64,510
Nebraska$63,180
Arizona$62,980
Wyoming$62,570
Florida$62,140
Arkansas$61,780
Tennessee$61,700
North Dakota$61,500
Louisiana$61,300
Kentucky$61,130
Idaho$60,510
Alabama$59,470
Missouri$59,300
Oklahoma$58,800
North Carolina$58,600
Kansas$58,300
Mississippi$57,910
West Virginia$57,760
Iowa$57,660
Indiana$56,390
South Dakota$56,070
Montana$55,190
Puerto Rico$53,160

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

How much a master's in Technology Teacher Education program costs in 2026

Graduate tuition is priced by the credit rather than the year, and most master's in Technology Teacher Education programs run 30 to 36 credits, so the total turns on a school's per-credit rate and whether you pay the in-state or out-of-state figure. Public universities are usually the least expensive for residents, while private and out-of-state rates run higher. Because IPEDS reports only an institution-wide undergraduate tuition that does not describe a graduate program, each card shows a researched per-program cost wherever a school publishes one, rather than a misleading campus-wide number.

Sticker price is rarely the final cost. Graduate students can borrow through federal Direct Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS loans, and teachers have targeted help: the TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 a year for a commitment to teach a high-need subject in a low-income school, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness can clear the remaining balance after ten years of qualifying payments in a public school or district. Many districts also reimburse part of a master's for teachers who earn it on the job, since a graduate degree usually moves them up the salary schedule.

The payoff shows up in pay: career and technical education teachers earn a median of $66,270 nationally, with the top of the field near $101,340 and the bottom around $50,040.

Sources: program data from IPEDS; the TEACH Grant and Public Service Loan Forgiveness from Federal Student Aid; wages from BLS OEWS.

Ways to earn your master's in Technology Teacher Education

Online delivery is central at this level: 7 of the 14 ranked programs offer an online or hybrid option, which fits teachers and other professionals who study while working full time. Programs are often organized as cohorts on evening, weekend, or asynchronous schedules, with any required field hours arranged near you. A typical master's runs about two years part-time, or twelve to eighteen months full-time.

The right format depends on why you are enrolling. Licensed teachers pursuing a master's for advancement or an added specialization can usually study fully online while they keep teaching. Career-changers who need an initial teaching license should instead look for a Master of Arts in Teaching or another licensure-track program, which pairs coursework with a supervised student-teaching placement or a paid residency and so includes in-person clinical time.

Sources: program and delivery data from IPEDS.

How to become a technology and industrial arts teacher with a master's degree

The path depends on whether you are entering teaching from industry or advancing as a licensed educator.

  1. 1

    Choose your track

    Career-changers with technical or trade backgrounds can pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) that leads to a first teaching license, while already-licensed teachers can pursue a Master of Education (M.Ed.) to deepen expertise and advance.

  2. 2

    Meet admission requirements

    Programs typically ask for a bachelor's degree, transcripts, and a statement of purpose. Applicants from industry may document relevant work experience, and MAT candidates often need a background check for placements.

  3. 3

    Complete the coursework

    Study covers technology and engineering pedagogy, curriculum and safety in shop and lab settings, assessment, and often coursework tied to specific technical areas, commonly totaling about 30 to 36 credits.

  4. 4

    Complete supervised teaching

    MAT candidates complete student teaching in a secondary technology or career and technical education classroom, while M.Ed. students often apply projects in their current classroom or complete a focused practicum.

  5. 5

    Earn or advance your license

    Graduate and, on a MAT route, complete your state's testing and application for a first teaching license, often with a technology-education or career and technical education endorsement. Licensed teachers can use the degree to advance on the salary schedule.

Requirements summarized from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and each state's department of education. Exact requirements vary by state.

Frequently asked questions about a Master's in Technology Teacher Education

Who is a master's in technology education for?

A master's in technology teacher education is for professionals from engineering, manufacturing, construction, and the trades who want to move into teaching, as well as current teachers specializing in technology and career/technical education. Many career-changers are drawn by the chance to pass on hands-on skills to the next generation. A background in a technical field is a strong foundation.

MAT or M.Ed., which should you choose for a master's in technology education?

Whether you choose an MAT or an M.Ed. depends on your licensure status. A Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) is an initial-licensure route with supervised student teaching that leads to a first teaching license, ideal for career-changers from industry. A Master of Education (M.Ed.) is generally for teachers who already hold a license and want to deepen their practice or advance. Pick based on whether you are already licensed to teach.

How long does a master's in technology education take, and can you study online?

A master's in technology teacher education takes about two years for most students, and part-time study is common for those working in industry or already teaching, and you can study much of it online. Some programs offer online or hybrid coursework, though shop, lab, and student-teaching components are completed in person. Programs typically help arrange placements in a nearby secondary school.

What do technology teachers earn with a master's in technology education in 2026?

These teachers earn a median wage of $66,270, according to the BLS for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School, the occupation most aligned with this field. Actual pay varies by district, region, and experience, and public school teachers with a master's typically earn more under a salary schedule. Prior industry experience can also factor into placement on the pay scale.

Is a master's in technology education accredited?

The program should be accredited, so look for institutional accreditation and educator-preparation accreditation from CAEP for licensure-oriented programs. Accreditation helps ensure your coursework and student teaching meet state standards and support licensure. Confirm the program is approved for technology-education or career and technical education licensure in the state where you plan to teach.

Is a master's in technology education worth it?

A master's in technology teacher education is worth it for industry professionals, for whom a MAT provides the license needed to enter a classroom, often in a high-need subject where districts actively recruit. For current teachers, the degree can raise pay through a district salary schedule and strengthen expertise in a growing area. Weigh the cost against local demand for technology and career and technical education teachers and your career goals.

Answers draw on IPEDS, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, and each state's department of education.

Data sources for our Master's in Technology Teacher Education ranking