Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology

Types of Degrees Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	87
Undergraduate Certificate	38
Associate Degree	22

What Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician Majors

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician Majors

A major in alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Abilities for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician Majors

As you progress with your alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• 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.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Automotive Specialty Technicians	6.1%	$40,710

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Alternative Fuel Vehicle 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 alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	12
White	5
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	1

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician, too. About 9.1% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician 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 Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology

Some careers associated with alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. 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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	14.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	28.4%
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)	48.0%
Some College Courses	2.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.9%

Online Alternative Fuel Vehicle 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)	11	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	9	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	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 Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician 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 Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to alternative fuel vehicle technology/technician.

Major	Number of Grads
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	33,827
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	8,686
Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	7,143
Autobody/Collision & Repair Technology/Technician	4,725
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	2,739
Medium/Heavy Vehicle & Truck Technology/Technician	2,101
Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair Technology/Technician	1,140
Marine Maintenance/Fitter & Ship Repair Technology/Technician	823
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	724
High Performance & Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	489
General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies	472
Small Engine Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician	213
Engine Machinist	107
Other Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies	97
Bicycle Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician	11
Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician	7

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
• Image Credit: By Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.