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geothermal energy technology

What geothermal energy technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in geothermal energy technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that geothermal energy technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in geothermal energy technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a geothermal energy technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to geothermal energy technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, geothermal energy technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by geothermal energy technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Image processing software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for geothermal energy technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Optoelectronic Technician (Optoelectronic Tech)
• Fiber Optics Splicer
• Optical Manufacturing Technician (Optical Manufacturing Tech)
• Laser Technician (Laser Tech)
• Ruling Technician (Ruling Tech)
• Optomechanical Technician (Optomechanical Tech)
• Splicing Technician (Splicing Tech)
• Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
• Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Fiber Optics Specialist
• Optics Technician (Optics Tech)
• Fiber Optics Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to geothermal energy technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.4%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Postsecondary certificate	6.9%
Some college courses	6.8%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do geothermal energy technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of geothermal energy technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$64,973
4 years	$59,663
5 years	$66,892

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,892 — roughly 3% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in geothermal energy technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, geothermal energy technology graduates earn a median of $59,663 four years after completion — roughly 57% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians	1,285
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Energy Systems Technology/Technician	815
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	341
Computer Software Technology/Technician	278
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Power Plant Technology/Technician	84
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	76

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.