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Other Computer Engineering

Types of Degrees Other Computer Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Computer Engineering may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	299
Bachelor’s Degree	110
Master’s Degree	82

What Other Computer Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Other Computer Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Computer Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Other Computer Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Other Computer Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Computer Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Computer Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Computer Engineering professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Computer Engineering graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Splicing Technician (Splicing Tech)
• Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
• Removal Technician (Removal Tech)
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Photonics Laboratory Technician (Photonics Lab Tech)
• Optical Engineering Technician (Optical Engineering Tech)
• Installation Technician (Installation Tech)
• Fiber Optics Design Technician (Fiber Optics Design Tech)
• Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)
• Surgical Laser Technician (Surgical Laser Tech)
• Mobile Laser Technician (Mobile Laser Tech)
• Laser Operator
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Computer Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.4%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Postsecondary certificate	6.9%
Some college courses	6.8%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Computer Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 79.7% of Other Computer Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	100	20.3%
Men	392	79.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Computer Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	216	43.9%
Asian	18	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino	99	20.1%
Black or African American	107	21.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.6%
Two or More Races	27	5.5%
Race Unknown	19	3.9%
International Students	3	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Computer Engineering Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Other Computer Engineering 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	$33,769
4 years	$47,945
5 years	$55,101

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,101 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Other Computer Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Other Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $47,945 four years after completion — roughly 26% 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	CIP Code
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.12
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	15.1201
Computer Hardware Technology/Technician	15.1203
Computer Software Technology/Technician	15.1204
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician	15.1202
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0001
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0101
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0307
Biomedical Technology/Technician	15.0401
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0615
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	15.0617
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.1799

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.