Metallurgy

Types of Degrees Metallurgy Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many metallurgical technology/technician graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	60
Undergraduate Certificate	26
Basic Certificate	1

What Metallurgy Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, metallurgical tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Metallurgical Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these 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.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Metallurgical Tech Majors

metallurgical tech majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Metallurgical Tech Majors

As you progress with your metallurgical tech degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 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.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

What Can You Do With a Metallurgy Major?

People with a metallurgical tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Industrial Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Metallurgy?

This major attracts more men than women. About 97% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1
Black or African American	7
Hispanic or Latino	14
White	36
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

How Much Do Metallurgy Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Metallurgical Tech majors often go into careers with median salaries of $65,720. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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 Metallurgy

Some degrees associated with metallurgical tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 metallurgical tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	12.2%
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)	1.0%
Some College Courses	2.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	26.1%
Bachelor’s Degree	52.4%
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.	0.0%
Master’s Degree	2.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	2.1%

Online Metallurgy Programs

In 2020-2021, 7 schools offered a metallurgical tech program of some type. 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)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	7	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Metallurgy Worth It?

The median salary for a metallurgical tech grad is $65,720 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 65% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $516,400 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Metallurgy

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

Major	Number of Grads
Manufacturing Engineering Technology	4,719
Industrial Technology	4,237
Other Industrial Production Technologies	1,713
Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology	286
Welding Engineering Technology	274
Composite Materials Technology	91
Chemical Engineering Technology	57
Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology	2

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.