Automotive Engineering Technology

Types of Degrees Automotive Engineering Technology Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	365
Bachelor’s Degree	303
Basic Certificate	234
Undergraduate Certificate	156

What Automotive Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, automotive engineering 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 Automotive Engineering Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• 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.
• 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 Automotive Engineering Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to automotive engineering tech:

• Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Abilities for Automotive Engineering Tech Majors

Automotive Engineering Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.

What Can You Do With a Automotive Engineering Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with automotive engineering tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Automotive Master Mechanics	6.1%	$40,710

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Automotive Engineering Technology?

This major attracts more men than women. About 91% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	7
Black or African American	40
Hispanic or Latino	81
White	199
International Students	3
Other Races/Ethnicities	35

Geographic Diversity

Automotive Engineering Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 0.8% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Automotive Engineering Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Automotive Engineering Tech majors often go into careers with median salaries of $43,730. 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 Automotive Engineering Technology

Some degrees associated with automotive engineering tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	42.5%
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)	54.2%
Some College Courses	5.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.5%

Online Automotive Engineering 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)	19	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	35	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	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 Automotive Engineering Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a automotive engineering tech grad is $43,730 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 10% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $76,600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Automotive Engineering Technology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Technology	3,490
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology	1,074
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies, Other	473
Marine Engineering Technology	106

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

More about our data sources and methodologies.