Linking Occupational Concentration to Hourly Wages for Non-College Going Individuals

One of the stated goals of career and technical education (CTE) is to improve the labor market outcomes of participants. One population of students for which concentration CTE may be particularly beneficial is those who determine they will not pursue postsecondary education. By exploring how occupational concentration—defined as earning three or more credits in a specific CTE cluster—relates to labor market outcomes for non-college participants, this study adds to a growing body of research on the benefits of CTE participation. In an effort to gain a more nuanced understanding of these labor market benefits, the current study further disaggregates these potential benefits across different CTE categories. Using a nationally representative dataset to explore the CTE concentration association with eventual earnings, results indicated that occupational concentration in general links to increased wages. However, these benefits are limited to a few specific CTE categories: health sciences, trades, and agriculture and natural resources. Implications for individual students, practitioners, and policymakers are discussed.