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process safety technology

What process safety technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in process safety technology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that process safety technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing process safety technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a process safety technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, process safety technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by process safety technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Presentation software	Presentation software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for process safety technology graduates include:

• Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst)
• Motion Study Analyst
• Material Scheduler
• Woolen Tester
• Scientist
• Additive Manufacturing Technician
• Metallurgical Lab Technician
• Quality Control Representative (QC Representative)
• Manufacturing Technologist
• Cloth Tester
• Time Study Technologist
• Quality Management Coordinator
• Efficiency Expert
• Engineering Technologist
• Quality Assurance Automation Engineer (QA Automation Engineer)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	23.1%
Some college courses	22.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	18.5%
Doctoral degree	12.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	8.0%
Less than a high school diploma	5.6%
Master’s degree	3.6%
Post-doctoral training	3.1%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.5%

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

How Much Do process safety technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of process safety 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	$67,389
4 years	$70,808
5 years	$79,621

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $79,621 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in process safety technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, process safety technology graduates earn a median of $70,808 four years after completion — roughly 86% 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
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	15.07
Hazardous Materials Information Systems Technology/Technician	15.0704
Industrial Safety Technology/Technician	15.0703
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician	15.0701
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.0799
Quality Control Technology/Technician	15.0702
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0001
Engineering/Industrial Management	15.1501
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.0699
Industrial Technology/Technician	15.0612
Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0613
Packaging Science	15.1503

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.