Who Takes High-Earning CTE Pathways?

Using student-level data from over 330,000 Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentrators across five U.S. locations, we examine who enrolls in high- versus low-earning CTE pathways. Linking course-taking data to occupational wage estimates, we find that gender is the strongest predictor of earnings potential: female students disproportionately enroll in clusters aligned with lower-wage jobs, even within the same schools. Gaps by race, income, and disability status are smaller and more variable. These descriptive findings suggest that occupational inequality in the labor market may begin as early as high school course selection. We discuss implications for policy, including increasing transparency around career outcomes and ensuring equitable access to all CTE pathways.