Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech

Types of Degrees Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many plastics & polymer engineering technology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	164
Bachelor’s Degree	67
Associate Degree	45
Undergraduate Certificate	24
Master’s Degree	8
Graduate Certificate	6
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to plastics and polymer 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 Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Majors

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

• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Skills for Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Majors

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

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
• 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.

Abilities for Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Majors

A major in plastics and polymer engineering tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Major?

People with a plastics and polymer engineering tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Manufacturing Engineering Technologists	5.2%	$63,200

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 93% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	3
White	59
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	3

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech. About 3.0% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech

Some degrees associated with plastics and polymer engineering tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for plastics and polymer engineering tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	9.1%
Some College Courses	4.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	40.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	36.4%
Master’s Degree	4.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.6%

Online Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech Programs

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)	14	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	15	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	0
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 Plastics and Polymer Engineering Tech

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

Major	Number of Grads
Manufacturing Engineering Technology	4,613
Industrial Technology	3,908
Other Industrial Production Technologies	1,967
Welding Engineering Technology	326
Composite Materials Technology	88
Metallurgical Technology	75
Chemical Engineering Technology	49
Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology	10

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 ICAPlants under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.