---

process safety technology

What process safety technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in process safety technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that process safety technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in process safety technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a process safety technology 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 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to process safety technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, process safety technology 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	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by process safety technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Graphics software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Presentation software	Presentation software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for process safety technology graduates include:

• Business Process Analyst
• Production Control Technologist
• Lean Six Sigma Specialist
• Quality Specialist
• Planner
• Manufacturing Planner
• Quality Control Technician
• Materials Planner
• Semiconductor Manufacturing Technician
• Manufacturing Associate
• Industrial Methods Consultant
• CAD Specialist (Computer Aided Design Specialist)
• Methods Study Analyst
• Quality Technician
• Production Control Expert

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to process safety technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	23.1%
Some college courses	22.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.5%
Doctoral degree	12.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	8.0%
Less than a high school diploma	5.6%
Master’s degree	3.6%
Post-doctoral training	3.1%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%

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

How Much Do process safety technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of process safety 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.}

Is a Degree in process safety technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, process safety 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/Industrial Management	7,766
Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician	4,498
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Industrial Technology/Technician	3,881
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician	3,147
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other	1,904
Quality Control Technology/Technician	422
Packaging Science	391
Industrial Safety Technology/Technician	258
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	113
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Other	111
Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician	—

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.