Industrial Production Technology

Types of Degrees Industrial Production Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many industrial production technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	3,607
Associate Degree	3,035
Bachelor’s Degree	2,451
Undergraduate Certificate	1,761

What Industrial Production Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to industrial production 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 Industrial Production Tech Majors

Industrial Production Tech majors often go into careers in which the following 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.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Industrial Production Tech Majors

When studying industrial production 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:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Industrial Production Tech Majors

As a industrial production tech major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 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.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Industrial Production Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with industrial production tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Electrical Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Electronics Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Industrial Engineering Technicians	0.6%	$55,460
Industrial Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Nanotechnology Engineering Technicians	5.2%	$63,200
Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Solderers and Brazers	5.6%	$41,380
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters	5.6%	$41,380

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Industrial Production Technology?

This is one of the most frequently chosen trade school majors. It is the 14th most popular in the country with 3,236 students graduating with an associate’s in industrial production tech in 2021. This major attracts more men than women. About 86% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	90
Black or African American	317
Hispanic or Latino	270
White	2,105
International Students	25
Other Races/Ethnicities	228

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Industrial Production Tech. About 0.8% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• Spain
• Nigeria

How Much Do Industrial Production Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Industrial Production Tech majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $44,360 to $65,050 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes 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 Industrial Production Technology

Some careers associated with industrial production tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to industrial production tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	23.6%
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)	13.7%
Some College Courses	9.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	19.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	18.7%
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.	0.1%
Master’s Degree	2.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.8%
Doctoral Degree	2.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	2.7%

Online Industrial Production Technology Programs

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)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	237	7
Certificate (2-4 Years)	10	0
Associate’s Degree	419	10
Bachelor’s Degree	8	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	29	7
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	3	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in Industrial Production Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a industrial production tech grad is $58,860 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 48% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $379,200 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Industrial Production Technology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,780
Environmental Control Technology	9,376
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,822
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,347
Engineering-Related Fields	6,553
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,205
Construction Engineering Technology	4,299
General Engineering Technology	3,841
Quality Control Technology	3,720
Computer Engineering Technology	3,509
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,907
Energy Systems Technologies	1,277
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,239
Civil Engineering Technology	1,155
Engineering-Related Technologies	969
Mining & Petroleum Technology	410
Nuclear Engineering Technology	235
Nanotechnology	104

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
• Image Credit: By ICAPlants under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.