Design Engineering Tech

Types of Degrees Design Engineering Tech Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	4,074
Associate Degree	2,755
Undergraduate Certificate	1,759
Bachelor’s Degree	354
Master’s Degree	190
Doctor’s Degree	2

What Design Engineering Tech Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to design engineering 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 Design Engineering Tech Majors

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

• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Design Engineering Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to design engineering 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Design Engineering Tech Majors

Design Engineering 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.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Design Engineering Tech Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with design engineering tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architectural Drafters	8.1%	$54,920
Civil Drafters	8.1%	$54,920
Drafters	8.2%	$51,850
Electrical Drafters	6.9%	$60,070
Electronic Drafters	6.9%	$60,070
Mechanical Drafters	5.2%	$55,920

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Design Engineering Tech?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 322 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in drafting & design engineering technology in 2021, making it rank #229 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 68% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	16
Black or African American	25
Hispanic or Latino	33
White	185
International Students	50
Other Races/Ethnicities	45

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Design Engineering Tech, too. About 14.1% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Design Engineering Tech

Some degrees associated with design engineering tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for design engineering tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	5.7%
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)	20.3%
Some College Courses	9.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	36.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	23.1%
Master’s Degree	4.9%
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.	0.0%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.0%

Online Design Engineering 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)	403	17
Certificate (2-4 Years)	17	3
Associate’s Degree	523	22
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	15	3
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Design Engineering Tech

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

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,351
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,996
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
Mining & Petroleum Technology	433
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 Pixabay under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.