Industrial Production Technology

Types of Degrees Industrial Production Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many industrial production technology graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	4,547
Associate’s Degree	3,914
Bachelor’s Degree	2,947
Undergraduate Certificate	2,492
Master’s Degree	367
Graduate Certificate	35
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Industrial Production Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to industrial production 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 Industrial Production 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.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Industrial Production Tech Majors

A major in industrial production tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Industrial Production Tech Majors

A major in industrial production tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Industrial Production Technology Major?

People with a industrial production tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Electrical Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Electronics Engineering Technicians	2.0%	$64,330
Industrial Engineering Technicians	0.6%	$55,460
Industrial Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Nanotechnology Engineering Technicians	5.2%	$63,200
Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Solderers and Brazers	5.6%	$41,380
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters	5.6%	$41,380

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Production Technology?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 2,947 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial production technology in 2019, making it rank #108 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 88% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	121
Black or African American	295
Hispanic or Latino	293
White	1,933
International Students	185
Other Races/Ethnicities	120

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Industrial Production Tech, too. About 6.3% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• India
• China
• Spain
• Nigeria

How Much Do Industrial Production Technology Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that industrial production technology students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $50,900 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $44,650 (25th percentile) and $58,450 (75th percentile).

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

Salaries According to BLS

Industrial Production Tech majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $44,360 to $65,050 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Industrial Production Technology

Some careers associated with industrial production tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for industrial production tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	23.6%
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)	13.7%
Some College Courses	9.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	19.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	18.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.1%
Master’s Degree	2.8%
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.	0.8%
Doctoral Degree	2.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	2.7%

Online Industrial Production Technology Programs

In 2018-2019, 586 schools offered a industrial production tech program of some type. 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)	359	23
Certificate (1-2 years)	228	9
Certificate (2-4 Years)	10	1
Associate’s Degree	440	15
Bachelor’s Degree	6	2
Post-Baccalaureate	359	23
Master’s Degree	30	5
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	2	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Is a Degree in Industrial Production Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a industrial production tech grad is $58,860 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 48% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $379,200 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Industrial Production Technology

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

Major	Number of Grads
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
General Engineering Technology	4,212
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 ICAPlants under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.