Purpose: The purpose of this project was to create a contemporary taxonomy of Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher competencies in order to evaluate and improve CTE teacher education. Design/methodology/approach: This study utilized a modified Delphi technique with a large sample of CTE experts--teachers, administrators, and teacher-educators in the state of Michigan, USA to identify the competencies and their relative importance. Findings: As a result, new competencies were added and a number of old competencies were deleted or changed. The product of this research is a matrix of 144 competencies in 13 categories, which also shows the level of importance and degree of consensus for each competency. Research limitations/implications: The state plans to use the new competencies for a variety of purposes, however caution is advised for making conclusions and generalizations from the study for other applications. Practical implications: Using the matrix as its infrastructure, CTE teacher-education institutions can assess their curricula to determine where the competencies are addressed, and use it in the form of a follow-up survey with recent graduates. CTE administrators might utilize the competencies for internal evaluation of new teachers and as a needs assessment for professional development. Originality/value: Any effort to improve CTE teaching and teacher-education, by researchers or policy-makers, should begin with a consensus on the competencies required for successful teaching and learning. (Contains 3 tables.)