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geothermal energy system installation and repair technology

What geothermal energy system installation and repair technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for geothermal energy system installation and repair technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that geothermal energy system installation and repair technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in geothermal energy system installation and repair technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a geothermal energy system installation and repair technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to geothermal energy system installation and repair technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, geothermal energy system installation and repair technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by geothermal energy system installation and repair technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Programmable logic controller PLC software	Industrial control software	—
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software	Industrial control software	—
Maintenance management software	Facilities management software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for geothermal energy system installation and repair technology graduates include:

• Plant Mechanic
• Telecommunications Utilities Foreman
• Plant Wire Chief
• Motorcycle Repair Shop Supervisor
• Line Installation Supervisor
• Electrical Installation Supervisor
• Maintenance Planner
• Customer Facilities Supervisor
• Wireworker Supervisor
• Farm Equipment Maintenance Supervisor
• Electric Motor Repairing Supervisor
• Transmission Maintenance Supervisor
• Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor
• Pin-Setting Machine Installation Superintendent
• Mechanical Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to geothermal energy system installation and repair technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	51.2%
Postsecondary certificate	25.8%
Some college courses	10.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.4%
Bachelor’s degree	3.7%
Less than a high school diploma	1.5%
Doctoral degree	1.0%

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

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/Technician	8,063
Gunsmithing/Gunsmith	2,555
Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation and Repair Technology/Technician, General	2,549
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	470
Mechanics and Repairers, General	433
Energy Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians	178
Energy Systems Installation and Repair Technology/Technician	76
Wind Energy System Installation and Repair Technology/Technician	68
Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician	34
Solar Energy System Installation and Repair Technology/Technician	25
Parts and Warehousing Operations and Maintenance Technology/Technician	18
Energy Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other	9

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.