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Quality Control Technology

Types of Degrees Quality Control Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Quality Control Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	99
Associate’s Degree	794
Bachelor’s Degree	1,565
Master’s Degree	1,354
Doctor’s Degree	6

What Quality Control Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Quality Control Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Quality Control Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Quality Control Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Quality Control Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Quality Control Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Quality Control Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Quality Control Technology graduates include:

• Quality Technician
• Quality Specialist
• Test Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Engineering Specialist
• Scientist
• Manufacturing Technology Analyst
• Line Technician
• Additive Manufacturing Production Technician
• Production Expert
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
• Industrial Methods Consultant
• Materials Planner
• Service Technician
• Personnel Quality Assurance Auditor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	29.4%
Some college courses	16.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	15.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.9%
Doctoral degree	8.6%
Postsecondary certificate	6.5%
Less than a high school diploma	3.9%
Master’s degree	3.4%
Post-doctoral training	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Quality Control Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.2% of Quality Control Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,017	25.8%
Men	2,921	74.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,418	61.4%
Asian	87	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	376	9.5%
Black or African American	446	11.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	56	1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.4%
Two or More Races	140	3.6%
Race Unknown	349	8.9%
International Students	52	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Quality Control Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Quality Control Technology 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	$67,389
4 years	$70,808
5 years	$79,621

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,621 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Quality Control Technology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Quality Control 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	12	7
Bachelor’s	5	5
Master’s	8	6

^{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 Quality Control Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Quality Control Technology graduates earn a median of $70,808 four years after completion — roughly 86% 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
Engineering Technologies	91,975
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	10,798
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,702
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Engineering-Related Fields	8,633
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	5,996
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	5,089
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	3,883
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247

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.