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Military Technologies & Sciences

Instructional programs that prepare individuals in specialized and advanced subject matter for the armed services and related national security organizations, including intelligence operations, military applied sciences, and military technologies.

Types of Degrees Military Technologies & Sciences Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Military Technologies & Sciences have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	68
Associate’s Degree	976
Bachelor’s Degree	1,786
Master’s Degree	1,954
Doctor’s Degree	12

What Military Technologies & Sciences Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Military Technologies & Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Military Technologies & Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

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

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Military Technologies & Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Military Technologies & Sciences professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Military Technologies & Sciences graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Optomechanical Technician (Optomechanical Tech)
• Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)
• Fiber Optics Instructor
• Photonics Engineering Technician (Photonics Engineering Tech)
• Optics Technician (Optics Tech)
• Healthcare Laser Technician (Healthcare Laser Tech)
• Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)
• Mobile Laser Technician (Mobile Laser Tech)
• Laser Scanners Technician (Laser Scanners Tech)
• Fiber Technician (Fiber Tech)
• Laser Technician (Laser Tech)
• Surgical Laser Technician (Surgical Laser Tech)
• Strain Technician (Strain Tech)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	38.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	21.2%
Bachelor’s degree	15.6%
Some college courses	10.4%
Postsecondary certificate	10.0%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Military Technologies & Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.5% of Military Technologies & Sciences degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,222	25.5%
Men	3,574	74.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,609	54.4%
Asian	185	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	597	12.4%
Black or African American	465	9.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	18	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	18	0.4%
Two or More Races	185	3.9%
Race Unknown	306	6.4%
International Students	413	8.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Military Technologies & Sciences Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Military Technologies & Sciences 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	$63,922
4 years	$64,375
5 years	$72,911

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $72,911 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Military Technologies & Sciences Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Military Technologies & Sciences. 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	20	8
Bachelor’s	36	20
Master’s	34	20
Doctoral (Research)	6	0

^{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 Military Technologies & Sciences Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Military Technologies & Sciences graduates earn a median of $64,375 four years after completion — roughly 69% 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.