Mining & Petroleum Tech

What Mining & Petroleum Tech Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to mining & petroleum tech 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 Mining & Petroleum Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in mining & petroleum tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Mining & Petroleum Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to mining & petroleum tech:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Mining & Petroleum Tech Majors

As a mining & petroleum tech major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Mining & Petroleum Tech Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with mining & petroleum tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Geological Sample Test Technicians	16.0%	$53,300
Geophysical Data Technicians	16.0%	$53,300
Mechanical Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Mining & Petroleum Tech

Some degrees associated with mining & petroleum tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for mining & petroleum tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	7.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	16.3%
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)	5.5%
Some College Courses	3.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	17.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	34.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.6%
Master’s Degree	13.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.0%

Online Mining & Petroleum Tech 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)	21	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	32	1
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

Majors Related to Mining & Petroleum Tech

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to mining & petroleum tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,351
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,996
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	9,134
Environmental Control Technology	8,781
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,331
Engineering-Related Fields	7,918
Mechanical Engineering Technology	5,841
Construction Engineering Technology	4,771
General Engineering Technology	4,002
Quality Control Technology	3,540
Computer Engineering Technology	3,432
Engineering Technology (Other)	2,458
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,261
Energy Systems Technologies	1,230
Civil Engineering Technology	1,199
Engineering-Related Technologies	1,144
Nuclear Engineering Technology	261
Nanotechnology	105

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 Jeffrey Beall under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.