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 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,596
Associate’s Degree	1,336
Basic Certificate	827
Master’s Degree	296
Undergraduate Certificate	112
Graduate Certificate	33
Doctor’s Degree	12

What General Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to engineering tech and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Engineering Tech Majors

Engineering Tech majors often go into careers in which the following 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

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

• 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 1,596 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general engineering technology in 2019, making it rank #141 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 90% 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	80
Black or African American	134
Hispanic or Latino	197
White	885
International Students	200
Other Races/Ethnicities	100

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Engineering Tech. About 12.5% 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 median early-career salary of general engineering technology students with a bachelor’s degree is $55,950 a year according to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $51,900 (25th percentile) and $58,750 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to engineering tech.

Online General Engineering Technology Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 230 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)	72	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	35	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	151	4
Bachelor’s Degree	4	2
Post-Baccalaureate	72	1
Master’s Degree	19	5
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	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	14,313
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	10,756
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,702
Environmental Control Technology	10,042
Electronics Engineering Technology	9,875
Mechanical Engineering Technology	7,772
Engineering-Related Fields	5,997
Quality Control Technology	4,315
Computer Engineering Technology	4,180
Construction Engineering Technology	3,824
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,786
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,362
Civil Engineering Technology	1,357
Engineering-Related Technologies	840
Mining & Petroleum Technology	705
Nuclear Engineering Technology	388
Nanotechnology	123

References

• 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.