Instrumentation Technology

Types of Degrees Instrumentation Technology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	1,128
Undergraduate Certificate	877
Basic Certificate	588
Bachelor’s Degree	31

What Instrumentation Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, instrumentation 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 Instrumentation Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in instrumentation tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 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.
• 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 Instrumentation Tech Majors

When studying instrumentation 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:

• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
• Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Abilities for Instrumentation Tech Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a instrumentation tech student include the following:

• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• 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.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• 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.

What Can You Do With a Instrumentation Technology Major?

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

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Electro-Mechanical Technicians	3.6%	$57,790
Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers	1.6%	$57,610

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Instrumentation Technology?

This major attracts more men than women. About 90% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	9
Black or African American	102
Hispanic or Latino	270
White	681
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	64

Geographic Diversity

Instrumentation Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 0.2% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Instrumentation Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $58,060 to $60,240 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to instrumentation tech. This range includes 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 Instrumentation Technology

Some careers associated with instrumentation tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to instrumentation tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	12.7%
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)	29.7%
Some College Courses	13.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	41.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	3.2%

Online Instrumentation 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)	43	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	5	0
Associate’s Degree	63	2
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	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 Instrumentation Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a instrumentation tech grad is $58,060 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 46% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $363,200 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Instrumentation Technology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Electromechanical Technology/Electromechanical Engineering Technology	2,769
Other Electromechanical & Instrumentation & Maintenance Technologies/Technicians	2,016
Biomedical Technology	1,156
Automation Engineer Technology	1,075
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.