Career and Technical Education Wage Gap: Black Students Earn Less
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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A recent headline from Inside Higher Ed brought a troubling reality to light. Black students who complete career and technical education programs earn much less than their white peers. The disparity becomes even worse when those programs are online. Six years after finishing, Black graduates earned over $8,000 less per year on average. This news is not just a statistic; it is the modern echo of a long history. To understand today’s headlines, one must examine the deep historical roots of this enduring gap.
This article explores the history behind the numbers. It connects the dots from early vocational training to today’s digital classrooms. Career and Technical Education, or CTE, includes programs that teach specific job skills in fields like healthcare, technology, and skilled trades (acteonline.org). However, these pathways to opportunity are not experienced equally. The wage gaps point to systemic racism, which refers to the policies and practices within institutions that create and sustain racial inequality (wikipedia.org). These racialized inequities are not about individual choices. Instead, they are the result of structural barriers that have disadvantaged Black students for generations.
Historical Roots of CTE Disparities
The origins of vocational education in America are deeply tied to racial segregation. These programs were often designed to keep Black Americans in specific economic roles. The Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 was a major federal law that expanded vocational education (kappanonline.org). This act provided funding for programs in agriculture, trade, and home economics. Critically, it also supported the creation of separate vocational schools for Black and white students (hechingerreport.org). This policy cemented a two-tiered system. The system for white students prepared them for higher-paying jobs. In contrast, the system for Black students tracked them into low-wage occupations, providing them with inferior training and resources.
This segregation in education had been happening for decades. Even earlier, the Morrill Act of 1862 was created to establish land-grant colleges focused on agriculture and mechanics (wikipedia.org). The goal was to make higher education more accessible. However, Southern states used segregationist policies to exclude Black people from these new institutions. It was not until the Second Morrill Act of 1890 that federal law required states to either admit Black students or create separate land-grant schools for them (wikipedia.org). By then, a pattern was already set. Federal funding for education often bypassed Black schools, worsening existing inequalities and reinforcing a system designed to limit opportunity.
Civil Rights and Lingering Inequity
The Civil Rights Movement brought significant legal changes. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to discriminate based on race in programs receiving federal funds, including vocational schools (illinoisstate.edu). In the years that followed, the federal government worked to enforce these laws. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), an agency within the U.S. Department of Education, was tasked with investigating discrimination (ed.gov). The OCR found widespread evidence of segregation and discriminatory tracking systems in vocational education across the country. These systems used biased tests and counselor recommendations to steer Black students into lower vocational tracks, while white students were guided toward academic, college-bound pathways (pioneerinstitute.org).
Despite these legal victories, deep-seated issues remained. Studies throughout the 1960s and 1970s showed that vocational programs continued to enroll a disproportionate number of low-income and minority students. The system effectively segregated students within desegregated schools. Wealthier, predominantly white students were placed in academic tracks. Meanwhile, students of color were often funneled into occupational training programs. Even as vocational education rebranded itself as Career and Technical Education (CTE), this history of tracking cast a long shadow. The uneven training between Black and white students led to different school-to-work opportunities, perpetuating inequitable outcomes in the labor market.
The Modern CTE Wage Gap
Decades of reform have not closed the gap. Recent research from the Urban Institute confirms that significant racial wage disparities persist for CTE graduates. Six years after enrolling in a CTE program, Black students earn over $8,200 less annually than their white counterparts, even when they start in the same program and earn the same degree (urban.org). This gap is not a reflection of student effort. Experts at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization, point to “racialized inequities in CTE that are the result of structural barriers and systemic racism” (urban.org).
The shift to online learning has made the problem worse. The earnings gap for Black CTE students who started in online programs expanded to over $12,000 per year (urban.org). This means Black students in online CTE programs earned less than half of what their white peers did. This disparity holds true even after accounting for factors like high school GPA. The findings highlight how systemic issues continue to disadvantage Black students, with online education creating new hurdles. These numbers are a stark reminder of how far there is to go to achieve true equity.
Annual Earnings Gap for Black CTE Graduates (vs. White Graduates)
Six Years Post-Program Enrollment
All CTE Programs
Online CTE Programs
Source: Data from the Urban Institute and Inside Higher Ed.
Why Online Learning Widens the Gap
The digital divide is more than just access to a computer. While Black students often face unequal access to reliable internet and devices, other factors specific to online CTE make the earnings gap wider (americanprogress.org). One major issue is digital literacy. This refers to the skills needed to navigate online learning platforms, use specific software, and evaluate online information (ebsco.com). Students without strong digital literacy skills can struggle to keep up in an online environment. Furthermore, this can hinder their success and completion rates.
Many CTE fields require hands-on training. Online programs struggle to replicate this essential practical experience. This is a significant disadvantage for students in trades like manufacturing or healthcare. Reduced interaction with instructors and peers also hurts learning. These relationships are crucial for mentorship, networking, and developing soft skills. Finally, securing internships and apprenticeships is more difficult remotely, especially for students who lack strong professional networks (theeduledger.com). The quality of online curricula can also vary, sometimes offering less effective instruction for diverse students.
Factors That Widen the CTE Gap Online
- Unequal Technology Access: Lack of reliable broadband and devices.
- Digital Literacy Gaps: Difficulty using online learning platforms and software.
- Lack of Hands-On Practice: Inability to replicate essential skill-building for many trades.
- Reduced Networking: Fewer opportunities for mentorship and building professional connections.
- Internship Hurdles: Greater challenges in securing vital work-based learning remotely.
Systemic Barriers Beyond the Classroom
Completing a CTE program does not guarantee a fair shot in the job market. Black graduates face systemic barriers long after they leave the classroom. Research shows that Black applicants are less likely to receive job offers than white applicants with the same qualifications (naceweb.org). Discrimination also impacts pay, job training, and promotions (eeoc.gov). This is a major reason why differences in education and experience explain less than half of the wage gap between Black and white workers (xactlycorp.com). The issue is deeply embedded in the labor market itself.
Socioeconomic factors also play a huge role. The racial wealth gap, rooted in historical injustices like slavery and redlining, means Black households have far less wealth than white ones (stlouisfed.org). This limits the resources available for education and skill-building. Additionally, the persistent racial unemployment gap shows that Black individuals face higher rates of joblessness, even in good economic times (kansascityfed.org). Even within educational settings, subtle biases known as microaggressions can create hostile environments. These are small, often unintentional insults that communicate negative messages about a person’s race, such as a professor acting surprised that a Black student is articulate (nationalacademies.org). These factors combine to create a landscape where Black CTE graduates must overcome far more obstacles to succeed.
Representation in CTE Fields
Black Student Enrollment Patterns
Overrepresented
Human Services
Hospitality
Cosmetology
(Often Lower-Paying Fields)
Underrepresented
Information Technology
STEM Fields
Advanced Manufacturing
(Often Higher-Paying Fields)
Source: Data from the U.S. Department of Education and various studies.
Charting a Path Toward Equity in CTE
Addressing these deep-seated problems requires intentional and systemic change. Experts suggest several key policy actions. One is to increase funding for CTE programs in underserved communities and for institutions that primarily serve minority students (nationalskillscoalition.org). This ensures equitable access to high-quality equipment, technology, and instructors. Another critical step is reforming K-12 career advising. Counselors need training to counteract implicit biases and actively encourage Black students to explore high-demand, high-wage CTE fields like STEM and information technology. This can help dismantle the modern remnants of historical tracking systems (pioneerinstitute.org).
Successful models show what is possible. Some programs implement culturally responsive curricula that make learning more engaging by incorporating the histories and experiences of Black communities. Others offer “wraparound services” that provide academic tutoring, financial aid counseling, and mentorship from industry professionals (equityinhighered.org). These supports have been shown to improve student retention and completion rates. Building strong partnerships between CTE schools and local employers can also create direct pathways to good jobs.
About the Author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is the founder of African Elements, a media platform dedicated to providing educational resources on the history and culture of the African diaspora. Through his work, Spearman aims to empower and educate by bringing historical context to contemporary issues affecting the Black community.
