Industrial Production Technology Major

Industrial production technology is a major that typically falls into the Engineering Technologies category.

There are 428 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in industrial production tech, 154 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 30 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 2 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.

Who Is Getting an Industrial Production Tech Degree?

This is a less frequently chosen major. Only 2,700 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial production technology in 2017. This major tends to be male dominated. About 88.2% of recent graduates are men.

Racial Distribution

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

• Asian: 3.5%
• Black or African American: 9.9%
• Hispanic or Latino: 8.8%
• White: 66.6%
• Non-Resident Alien: 6.2%
• Other Races: 5.1%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in industrial production tech. About 6.2% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending industrial production tech majors to the U.S. are Saudi Arabia, India and China.

What Will You Learn as an Industrial Production Technology Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to industrial production tech to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Industrial Production Tech Majors

A major in industrial production tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

Skills for Industrial Production Tech Majors

When studying industrial production tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

Abilities for Industrial Production Tech Majors

As an industrial production tech major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

What Can You Do With an Industrial Production Tech Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with industrial production tech:

Careers Related to Industrial Production Technology

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Industrial Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Electrical Engineering Technicians	2%	$64,330
Nanotechnology Engineering Technicians	5.2%	$63,200
Solderers and Brazers	5.6%	$41,380
Semiconductor Processors	-5.5%	$37,270
Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200
Electronics Engineering Technicians	2%	$64,330
Industrial Engineering Technicians	0.6%	$55,460
Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters	5.6%	$41,380

Industrial Production Technology Major Salary

Average salaries range from $44,000 to $65,000 for careers related to industrial production tech. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

Your salary will be largely dependent on the career path you follow and what area of the country (or world) you work. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Industrial Production Technology Major Jobs

Some careers associated with industrial production tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 Levels for Careers Associated With Industrial Production Technology

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	6%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	23.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate	13.7%
Some College Courses	9.6%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	19.8%
Bachelor's Degree	18.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	0.1%
Master's Degree	2.8%
Post-Master's Certificate	0%
First Professional Degree	0.8%
Doctoral Degree	2.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	2.7%

Online Industrial Production Technology Programs

There are 154 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in industrial production technology, with 22 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Many learners are drawn to online programs due to the ease of use and flexibility. Students should be warned that those who enroll in online programs can take longer to graduate than average and are more likely to drop out.

Is an Industrial Production Technology Major Worth It?

The median salary for an industrial production tech grad is $59,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 51% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $399,200 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• General Engineering Technology
• Architectural Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electronics Engineering
• Electromechanical Engineering
• Environmental Control Technology
• Industrial Production Technology
• Quality Control Technology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Mining & Petroleum Technology
• Construction Engineering
• Engineering-Related Technologies
• Computer Engineering
• Drafting & Design Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering
• Engineering-Related Fields
• Nanotechnology
• Other Engineering Technology

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
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