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Industrial Technology

Types of Degrees Industrial Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Industrial Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	457
Associate’s Degree	867
Bachelor’s Degree	1,077
Master’s Degree	1,393
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Industrial Technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

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

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Industrial Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Industrial Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Plant design management system PDMS	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Rapid prototyping software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Horizon Software MRP Plus	Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Advanced Dimensional Management 3D-GD&T	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Industrial Technology graduates include:

• Support Technician
• Quality Technician
• Quality Control Expert
• Industrial Methods Consultant
• 3D Printing Tech (Three Dimensional Printing Technician)
• Business Process Analyst
• Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician
• Operations Technician
• Quality Assurance Automation Engineer (QA Automation Engineer)
• Analysis Tester
• Time Study Technologist
• Manufacturing Engineering Technician
• Cellophane Tester
• Quality Engineer
• Production Control Planner

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Some college courses	24.1%
Bachelor’s degree	20.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.4%
Doctoral degree	13.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.8%
Less than a high school diploma	6.3%
Master’s degree	3.5%
Post-doctoral training	3.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Industrial Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 79.9% of Industrial Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	781	20.1%
Men	3,100	79.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,014	51.9%
Asian	107	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	491	12.7%
Black or African American	346	8.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	30	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.2%
Two or More Races	128	3.3%
Race Unknown	145	3.7%
International Students	611	15.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Industrial Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Industrial 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	$59,570
4 years	$66,536
5 years	$74,003

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,003 — roughly 24% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Industrial Technology Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Industrial 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	4	10
Bachelor’s	10	9
Master’s	3	2

^{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 Industrial Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Industrial Technology graduates earn a median of $66,536 four years after completion — roughly 75% 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
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Engineering/Industrial Management	7,766
Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician	4,498
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other	1,904
Welding Engineering Technology/Technician	609
Packaging Science	391
Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/Technician	271
Industrial Safety Technology/Technician	258
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	108
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	63
Metallurgical Technology/Technician	41

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.