Telecommunications Technology

Types of Degrees Telecommunications Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many telecommunications technology/technician graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	375
Associate’s Degree	112
Undergraduate Certificate	78
Bachelor’s Degree	59

What Telecommunications Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to telcom tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Telcom Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Telcom Tech Majors

When studying telcom 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:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Telcom Tech Majors

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

• 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.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Telecommunications Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with telcom tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Electrical Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Electronics Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330

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

This major tends to be male dominated. About 91% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	12
Hispanic or Latino	3
White	71
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	23

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Telcom Tech. About 0.9% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Telecommunications Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to telcom tech is $65,050. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 Telecommunications Technology

Some careers associated with telcom 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.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	11.8%
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)	28.4%
Some College Courses	13.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	33.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	9.3%
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.	0.3%
Master’s Degree	2.2%
Post-Doctoral Training	1.7%

Online Telecommunications Technology Programs

In 2018-2019, 50 schools offered a telcom tech program of some type. 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)	14	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	13	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	32	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	14	1
Master’s Degree	6	1
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 Telecommunications Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a telcom tech grad is $65,050 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 63% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $503,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Telecommunications Technology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Electrical, Electronic & Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	7,209
Other Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,734
Laser & Optical Technology/Technician	165
Integrated Circuit Design	0

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.