---

General Science Technologies

What General Science Technologies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Science Technologies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.1 / 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 General Science Technologies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to General Science Technologies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Science Technologies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Science Technologies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Science Technologies graduates include:

• Hydrographer
• Hydrologic Aid
• Hydro Operator
• Groundwater Monitoring Technician
• Hydrography Technician
• GIS Technician (Geographic Information System Technician)
• Hydrologic Technician
• Field Technician (Field Tech)
• Laboratory Technician
• Tester
• Observer
• Laboratory Worker
• Laboratory Assistant
• Quality Control Technician (QC Tech)
• Laboratory Analyst

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	30.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	8.3%
Some college courses	8.1%
Less than a high school diploma	4.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Master’s degree	0.1%

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

How Much Do General Science Technologies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Science Technologies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$71,144

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

Online General Science Technologies Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for General Science 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	1	1
Bachelor’s	1	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.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Science Technologies Technicians	7,092
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians	2,922
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,518
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians	1,212
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians	338

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.