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Mining Technology

Types of Degrees Mining Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Mining Technology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	10

What Mining Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Mining Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Mining Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Mining Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Mining Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Mining Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mining Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mining Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mining Technology graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Optical Manufacturing Technician (Optical Manufacturing Tech)
• Fiber Optics Assembler
• Certified Laser Technician (Certified Laser Tech)
• Fiber Technician (Fiber Tech)
• Healthcare Laser Technician (Healthcare Laser Tech)
• Optics Manufacturing Technician (Optics Manufacturing Tech)
• Optoelectronic Technician (Optoelectronic Tech)
• Fiber Optics Splicer
• Fiber Splicer
• Fiber Optics Specialist
• Strain Technician (Strain Tech)
• Optics Test Technician (Optics Test Tech)
• Thin Film Technician (Thin Film Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mining Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	49.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	22.5%
Bachelor’s degree	8.2%
Postsecondary certificate	6.1%
Some college courses	6.0%
Less than a high school diploma	4.2%
Master’s degree	2.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mining Technology?

Gender Distribution

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Mining Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	24	82.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1	3.4%
Black or African American	1	3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	3.4%
Race Unknown	2	6.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mining Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Mining Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$57,450
4 years	$58,393
5 years	$65,518

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,518 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Mining Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Mining Technology graduates earn a median of $58,393 four years after completion — roughly 54% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians	15.09
Mining and Petroleum Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.0999
Petroleum Technology/Technician	15.0903
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0001
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0101
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0307
Biomedical Technology/Technician	15.0401
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0615
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	15.0617
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.1299
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	15.1201
Computer Hardware Technology/Technician	15.1203

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.