Automation Engineer Technology

Types of Degrees Automation Engineer Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many automation engineer technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	477
Basic Certificate	244
Undergraduate Certificate	240
Bachelor’s Degree	111

What Automation Engineer Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, automation engineer tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Automation Engineer Tech Majors

Automation Engineer Tech majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills for Automation Engineer Tech Majors

When studying automation engineer tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Abilities for Automation Engineer Tech Majors

Automation Engineer Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

What Can You Do With a Automation Engineer Technology Major?

People with a automation engineer tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Electro-Mechanical Technicians	3.6%	$57,790
Robotics Technicians	3.6%	$57,790

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Automation Engineer Technology?

This major attracts more men than women. About 93% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of automation engineer tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	16
Black or African American	31
Hispanic or Latino	55
White	334
International Students	5
Other Races/Ethnicities	36

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Automation Engineer Tech, too. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Automation Engineer Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to automation engineer tech is $60,240. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Automation Engineer Technology

Some degrees associated with automation engineer tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for automation engineer tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	10.9%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	26.4%
Some College Courses	7.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	43.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	10.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.2%

Online Automation Engineer Technology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	39	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	5	0
Associate’s Degree	57	1
Bachelor’s Degree	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Automation Engineer Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a automation engineer tech grad is $60,240 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 51% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $406,800 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Automation Engineer Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to automation engineer tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Electromechanical Technology/Electromechanical Engineering Technology	2,769
Instrumentation Technology	2,624
Other Electromechanical & Instrumentation & Maintenance Technologies/Technicians	2,016
Biomedical Technology	1,156
Robotics Technology	699
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering Technology	441

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.