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Engineering Technology

Types of Degrees Engineering Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Engineering Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	187
Associate’s Degree	1,212
Bachelor’s Degree	1,312
Master’s Degree	1,039
Doctor’s Degree	5

What Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Engineering Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Engineering Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Engineering Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Engineering Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

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

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Engineering Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Engineering Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Operating system software	Operating system software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—
UNIX	Operating system software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Engineering Technology graduates include:

• Instrumentation Technician
• Field Service Technician
• Calibration Technician
• Certified Control Systems Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Rework Technician
• Unmanned Air Systems Operator
• Remote Pilot
• Robotics Testing Technician
• Electromechanical Specialist (EM Specialist)
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Technician (UAV Technician)
• Electronic Industrial Control Mechanic
• Electrical and Instrumentation Technician (E and I Tech)
• Commercial Drone Technician

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	32.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	28.9%
Bachelor’s degree	12.6%
Some college courses	11.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.1%
Master’s degree	2.5%
Doctoral degree	1.7%
Less than a high school diploma	0.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Engineering Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 81.3% of Engineering Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	705	18.7%
Men	3,065	81.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Engineering Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,062	54.7%
Asian	365	9.7%
Hispanic or Latino	596	15.8%
Black or African American	318	8.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.2%
Two or More Races	103	2.7%
Race Unknown	63	1.7%
International Students	240	6.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Engineering Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Engineering Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Engineering Technology Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Engineering Technology. 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
Associate’s	6	5
Bachelor’s	5	3
Master’s	4	3

^{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 Engineering Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Engineering Technology 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
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	6,829
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	3,883
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Automation Engineer Technology/Technician	1,364
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician	1,144
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,132
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113

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.