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Other Mining & Petroleum Tech

Types of Degrees Other Mining & Petroleum Tech Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Mining & Petroleum Tech have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5

What Other Mining & Petroleum Tech Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Other Mining & Petroleum Tech build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Mining & Petroleum Tech graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Mining & Petroleum Tech emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Other Mining & Petroleum Tech program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Mining & Petroleum Tech careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Mining & Petroleum Tech graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.6 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.6 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.6 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.5 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Mining & Petroleum Tech professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Surface III	Map creation software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Halliburton ProMAX	Analytical or scientific software	—
Golden Software Surfer	Map creation software	—
Clark Labs IDRISI Andes	Map creation software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Petroleum Software Technologies	Analytical or scientific software	—
Landmark SeisWorks	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	—
Landmark Graphics GeoGraphix	Analytical or scientific software	—
Martin D Adamiker’s TruFlite	Map creation software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Mining & Petroleum Tech graduates include:

• Field Evaluator
• Geophysical E-Logger
• Directional Drill Operator
• Oil and Gas Exploration Technician
• Mud Analysis Operator
• Geophysical Computer
• Construction Materials Field Technician (Construction Materials Field Tech)
• Directional Drill Locator
• Seismograph Operator
• Laboratory Technician
• Field Geotechnical Technician
• Sounding Device Operator
• Petroleum Analyst
• Field Tester
• Electron Microprobe Operator

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Mining & Petroleum Tech?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 40% women and 60% men among Other Mining & Petroleum Tech graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	40.0%
Men	3	60.0%

How Much Do Other Mining & Petroleum Tech Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Mining & Petroleum Tech graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$57,450
4 years	$58,393
5 years	$65,518

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,518 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Other Mining & Petroleum Tech Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Mining & Petroleum Tech graduates earn a median of $58,393 four years after completion — roughly 54% 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
Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians	328
Petroleum Technology/Technician	294
Mining Technology/Technician	29

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.