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Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology

Types of Degrees Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	45
Associate’s Degree	26
Master’s Degree	41

What Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Engineering Aide
• Laser Specialist
• Hydraulic Technician
• Engineering Technologist
• Development Technician
• Experimental Technician
• Engineering Drawings Checker
• Tool Design Checker
• Engineering Technician (Engineering Tech)
• Brinell Tester
• Process Engineering Technician (Process Engineering Tech)
• Tooling Engineering Technician
• Technical Analyst
• Optomechanical Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Hydraulics & Fluid Power 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	27.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	23.7%
Bachelor’s degree	21.3%
Postsecondary certificate	16.5%
Some college courses	6.9%
Master’s degree	3.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 93.7% of Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7	6.2%
Men	105	93.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	75	67.0%
Asian	2	1.8%
Hispanic or Latino	11	9.8%
Black or African American	17	15.2%
Two or More Races	2	1.8%
Race Unknown	5	4.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$61,962
4 years	$60,220
5 years	$64,342

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,342 — roughly 4% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Hydraulics & Fluid Power Technology graduates earn a median of $60,220 four years after completion — roughly 58% 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
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	1,237
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician	1,112
Surveying Technology/Surveying	1,046
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	79
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	76
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	63

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.