---

applied engineering technologies

Types of Degrees applied engineering technologies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing applied engineering technologies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	7
Associate’s Degree	44
Bachelor’s Degree	25
Master’s Degree	37

What applied engineering technologies Majors Need to Know

Coursework for applied engineering technologies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that applied engineering technologies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing applied engineering technologies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a applied engineering technologies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to applied engineering technologies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, applied engineering technologies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by applied engineering technologies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for applied engineering technologies graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Field Service Technician
• Remotely Piloted Vehicle Controller (RPV Controller)
• Tester
• Laser Specialist
• Engineering Technician
• Test Technician
• Drone Technician
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Operator (UAV Operator)
• Research and Design Lab Technician (R and D Lab Tech)
• Electromechanical Assembler (EM Assembler)
• Underwater Roboticist
• Electromechanical Assembly Technician (EM Assembly Technician)
• IE PM Inspector (Instrumentation and Electrical Preventive Maintenance Inspector)
• Electronics Technician (Electronics Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to applied engineering technologies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	24.8%
Bachelor’s degree	13.0%
Postsecondary certificate	12.9%
Some college courses	11.6%
Doctoral degree	5.0%
Master’s degree	3.5%
Less than a high school diploma	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.1%
Post-doctoral training	1.0%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in applied engineering technologies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 87.6% of applied engineering technologies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	14	12.4%
Men	99	87.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of applied engineering technologies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	72	63.7%
Asian	1	0.9%
Hispanic or Latino	20	17.7%
Black or African American	6	5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	5.3%
Two or More Races	4	3.5%
Race Unknown	1	0.9%
International Students	3	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do applied engineering technologies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of applied engineering technologies 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	$60,327
4 years	$67,578
5 years	$74,923

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,923 — roughly 24% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online applied engineering technologies Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for applied engineering technologies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in applied engineering technologies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, applied engineering technologies graduates earn a median of $67,578 four years after completion — roughly 78% 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
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	3,883
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	3,770
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Biomedical Technology/Technician	1,460
Automation Engineer Technology/Technician	1,364
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	1,215
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	492
Packaging Science	391
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	76
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	63
Computer Hardware Technology/Technician	18

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.