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Engineering Technologies

A program that generally prepares individuals to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers engaged in a wide variety of projects. Includes instruction in various engineering support functions for research, production, and operations, and applications to specific engineering specialties.

Types of Degrees Engineering Technologies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Engineering Technologies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	13,532
Associate’s Degree	21,426
Bachelor’s Degree	17,799
Master’s Degree	36,833
Doctor’s Degree	216

What Engineering Technologies Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Engineering Technologies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Engineering Technologies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Engineering Technologies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Engineering Technologies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Engineering Technologies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Engineering Technologies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Engineering Technologies graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Test Technician
• Photonics Engineer
• Installation Technician (Installation Tech)
• Engineering Technician
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Tester
• Photonics Engineering Technician (Photonics Engineering Tech)
• Laser Scanners Technician (Laser Scanners Tech)
• Surgical Laser Technician (Surgical Laser Tech)
• Optomechanical Technician (Optomechanical Tech)
• Splicing Technician (Splicing Tech)
• Fiber Optics Design Technician (Fiber Optics Design Tech)
• Strain Technician (Strain Tech)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	24.4%
Bachelor’s degree	21.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.8%
Postsecondary certificate	12.6%
Some college courses	8.1%
Doctoral degree	4.8%
Master’s degree	4.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.5%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Post-doctoral training	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
First professional degree	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Engineering Technologies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 82.2% of Engineering Technologies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	16,373	17.8%
Men	75,602	82.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Engineering Technologies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	46,744	50.8%
Asian	3,710	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	18,687	20.3%
Black or African American	8,520	9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	773	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	212	0.2%
Two or More Races	2,662	2.9%
Race Unknown	3,467	3.8%
International Students	7,200	7.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Engineering Technologies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Engineering Technologies 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	$52,984
4 years	$57,882
5 years	$64,651

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,651 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Engineering Technologies Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Engineering Technologies. 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	135	157
Bachelor’s	84	89
Master’s	94	61
Doctoral (Research)	6	1

^{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 Engineering Technologies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Engineering Technologies graduates earn a median of $57,882 four years after completion — roughly 52% 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.}

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.