Unison members will join further education lecturers in a national strike on November 5, resulting in the closure of 280 colleges.
It will be the first time both lecturing staff and support staff - members of Unison - in FE have taken joint action.
The strike will now go ahead unless the employers make a new pay offer.
FE staff have so far rejected a 2.3% pay offer, saying it would take a 12% increase to bring them into line with teachers' earnings. Unison, along with the teaching union Natfhe, also want a minimum starting salary of £11,000 in the sector.
Dave Prentis, Unison general secretary, said he was glad members had voted for strike action, but he was "incredibly angry that the employers have let it come to this".
"Two-thirds of our FE members earn less that £13,000 a year. The employer's offer is worth just 13p an hour for those on £10,500.
"For the first time, low paid staff working in colleges have voted to go on strike and risk losing a day's pay. This should send a wake-up call to the employers that the situation is serious. We are urging them to reopen pay negotiations."
Vacancies among support and managerial staff in FE rose by 44% last year and a Mori poll for Unison showed that 46% of their members were actively seeking new jobs outside the sector.
Paul Mackney, general secretary of Natfhe, said: "We hope this unprecedented show of unity among all staff in further education colleges for a decent pay deal will focus the minds of the college employers on resolving this damaging dispute.
"The government wants FE colleges to play a major role in its learning and skills agenda. College staff are prepared to back those plans, but not without a serious commitment by college employers and the government to tackle low pay. The time for dithering is over. All parties must find a way forward as a matter of urgency."
