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wind energy technology

Types of Degrees wind energy technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in wind energy technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	34
Associate’s Degree	5
Master’s Degree	3

What wind energy technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in wind energy technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a wind energy technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to wind energy technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, wind energy technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by wind energy technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet 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	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for wind energy technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Wind Generating Electric Power Installer
• Offshore Wind Turbine Technician
• Renewable Energy Specialist
• Windmill Technician
• Wind Energy Technician
• Wind Turbine Mechanic
• Energy Technician
• Onsite Technician (Onsite Tech)
• Service Technician
• Wind Plant Technician
• Wind Turbine Technician
• Wind Energy Mechanic
• Field Service Technician

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to wind energy technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	39.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	21.1%
Postsecondary certificate	18.4%
Some college courses	13.1%
Bachelor’s degree	5.3%
Master’s degree	1.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in wind energy technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 95.2% of wind energy technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2	4.8%
Men	40	95.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of wind energy technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	25	59.5%
Asian	1	2.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1	2.4%
Black or African American	3	7.1%
Two or More Races	2	4.8%
Race Unknown	10	23.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do wind energy technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of wind energy technology 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	$64,973
4 years	$59,663
5 years	$66,892

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,892 — roughly 3% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in wind energy technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, wind energy technology graduates earn a median of $59,663 four years after completion — roughly 57% 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
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians	15.17
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.1799
Energy Systems Technology/Technician	15.1701
Geothermal Energy Technology/Technician	15.1706
Hydroelectric Energy Technology/Technician	15.1705
Power Plant Technology/Technician	15.1702
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	15.1703
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

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.