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Other Industrial Production

Types of Degrees Other Industrial Production Majors Are Earning

Those studying Other Industrial Production have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	367
Associate’s Degree	465
Bachelor’s Degree	274
Master’s Degree	627

What Other Industrial Production Majors Need to Know

Programs in Other Industrial Production build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Industrial Production graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Industrial Production 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 built by a Other Industrial Production 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 Other Industrial Production careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — 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, Other Industrial Production 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 Other Industrial Production professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Siemens SINUMERIK CNC	Industrial control software	—
Three-dimensional modeling software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Data entry software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
CNC Mastercam	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Industrial Production graduates include:

• Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician
• Production Analyst
• Industrial Technician
• Test Technician
• Methods Specialist Engineer
• Efficiency Analyst
• Time Study Technologist
• Quality Control Engineering Technician (QC Engineering Technician)
• Solar Hot Water Heater Manufacturing Technician
• Personnel Quality Assurance Auditor
• Reliability Engineer
• Support Technician
• Methods Engineer
• Quality Assurance Technician
• Traffic Rate Analyst

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Industrial Production 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%
Post-doctoral training	3.5%
Master’s degree	3.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Industrial Production?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 81.5% of Other Industrial Production degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	352	18.5%
Men	1,552	81.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,224	64.3%
Asian	20	1.1%
Hispanic or Latino	178	9.3%
Black or African American	348	18.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	49	2.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	39	2.0%
Race Unknown	39	2.0%
International Students	5	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Industrial Production Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Industrial Production 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 Other Industrial Production Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Other Industrial Production. 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	5	4
Bachelor’s	2	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 Other Industrial Production Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Industrial Production 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 Technology/Technician	3,881
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.