Communications Tech

Types of Degrees Communications Tech Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many communications technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	490
Bachelor’s Degree	294
Associate Degree	144
Undergraduate Certificate	52
Master’s Degree	10

What Communications Tech Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to communications 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 Communications Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 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.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Skills for Communications Tech Majors

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

• 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.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Communications Tech Majors

Communications Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 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.
• 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.

What Can You Do With a Communications Tech Major?

People with a communications tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Film and Video Editors	17.0%	$62,650
Media and Communication Workers	10.0%	$48,330
Sound Engineering Technicians	6.5%	$52,390

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Tech?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 238 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications technology in 2021, making it rank #244 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 85% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of communications tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	9
Black or African American	59
Hispanic or Latino	90
White	106
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	29

Geographic Diversity

Communications Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 0.3% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Communications Tech

Some degrees associated with communications 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to communications tech have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	3.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	21.3%
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)	16.1%
Some College Courses	19.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	21.3%
Bachelor’s Degree	20.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.2%

Online Communications 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)	16	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	17	1
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	5	1
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Communications Tech

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to communications tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Graphic Communications	7,730
Audiovisual Communications	6,764
Other Communication Technology	188

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

More about our data sources and methodologies.