General Engineering Technology

Types of Degrees General Engineering Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general engineering technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,664
Associate Degree	1,416
Basic Certificate	1,027
Undergraduate Certificate	314
Master’s Degree	228
Graduate Certificate	17
Doctor’s Degree	10

What General Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to 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 Engineering Tech Majors

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

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

Skills for Engineering Tech Majors

engineering tech majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in General Engineering Technology?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,664 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general engineering technology in 2021, making it rank #143 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 86% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	91
Black or African American	159
Hispanic or Latino	200
White	961
International Students	155
Other Races/Ethnicities	98

Geographic Diversity

Engineering Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 9.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• Nigeria
• Kuwait

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in general engineering technology made a median starting salary of $55,063 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $51,526 (25th percentile) and $59,910 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a engineering tech degree.

Online General Engineering Technology Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 268 schools offered some type of general engineering technology program. 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)	41	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	178	6
Bachelor’s Degree	4	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	22	3
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to General Engineering Technology

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

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,906
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,593
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,964
Environmental Control Technology	8,690
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,592
Engineering-Related Fields	6,736
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,013
Construction Engineering Technology	4,330
Quality Control Technology	3,824
Computer Engineering Technology	3,595
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,768
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,290
Energy Systems Technologies	1,256
Civil Engineering Technology	1,187
Engineering-Related Technologies	989
Mining & Petroleum Technology	445
Nuclear Engineering Technology	220
Nanotechnology	114

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 KUKA Systems GmbH under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.