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Industrial Production Technology

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 15.0607- 15.0699.

Types of Degrees Industrial Production Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Industrial Production Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,573
Associate’s Degree	2,631
Bachelor’s Degree	2,022
Master’s Degree	4,416
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Industrial Production Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Industrial Production Technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Industrial Production Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Industrial Production Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Industrial Production Technology 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 3.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Industrial Production Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Industrial Production Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Industrial Production Technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Test Technician
• Engineering Technician
• Manufacturing Technician
• Process Technician
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
• Optical Engineering Technician (Optical Engineering Tech)
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)
• Laser Technician (Laser Tech)
• Photonics Laboratory Technician (Photonics Lab Tech)
• Fiber Optics Assembler
• Strain Technician (Strain Tech)
• Fiber Splicer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Industrial Production 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	43.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	19.3%
Some college courses	10.1%
Bachelor’s degree	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	5.3%
Less than a high school diploma	4.1%
Doctoral degree	3.3%
Master’s degree	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Industrial Production Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.5% of Industrial Production Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,883	16.5%
Men	9,508	83.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,840	60.0%
Asian	303	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,440	12.6%
Black or African American	1,157	10.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	132	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	16	0.1%
Two or More Races	378	3.3%
Race Unknown	420	3.7%
International Students	705	6.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Industrial Production Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Industrial Production Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$59,570
4 years	$66,536
5 years	$74,003

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,003 — roughly 24% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Industrial Production Technology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Industrial Production 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	13	28
Bachelor’s	15	16
Master’s	4	4

^{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 Industrial Production Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Industrial Production Technology graduates earn a median of $66,536 four years after completion — roughly 75% 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
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
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557

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.