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Critical Infrastructure Protection

Types of Degrees Critical Infrastructure Protection Majors Are Earning

Those studying Critical Infrastructure Protection have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	52
Bachelor’s Degree	258
Master’s Degree	225
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Critical Infrastructure Protection Majors Need to Know

Programs in Critical Infrastructure Protection develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Critical Infrastructure Protection graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Critical Infrastructure Protection emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Critical Infrastructure Protection program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Critical Infrastructure Protection careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Critical Infrastructure Protection graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Critical Infrastructure Protection professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
IBM Lotus Notes	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Critical Infrastructure Protection graduates include:

• Safety Supervisor
• Compliance Director
• Nurses’ Association Executive Director
• Extension Service Specialist-in-Charge
• Dude Ranch Manager
• Clerk of Court
• Off Track Betting Manager
• Gas Well Drilling Manager
• Team Leader
• Auto Repair Shop Manager
• Racing Manager
• Testing and Regulating Chief
• Area Supervisor
• Research Director
• Water Registrar

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	14.5%
Master’s degree	8.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.8%
Some college courses	7.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.9%
Postsecondary certificate	3.2%
Doctoral degree	0.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Critical Infrastructure Protection?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.1% of Critical Infrastructure Protection degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	141	25.9%
Men	404	74.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Critical Infrastructure Protection graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	240	44.0%
Asian	76	13.9%
Hispanic or Latino	66	12.1%
Black or African American	56	10.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	1.5%
Two or More Races	16	2.9%
Race Unknown	49	9.0%
International Students	34	6.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Critical Infrastructure Protection Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Critical Infrastructure Protection 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	$66,896
4 years	$65,332
5 years	$74,471

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,471 — roughly 11% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Critical Infrastructure Protection Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Critical Infrastructure Protection. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	2
Bachelor’s	7	3
Master’s	5	3
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Critical Infrastructure Protection Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Critical Infrastructure Protection graduates earn a median of $65,332 four years after completion — roughly 72% 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
Homeland Security	43.03
Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management	43.0302
Homeland Security, Other	43.0399
Homeland Security	43.0301
Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations	43.0304
Criminal Justice and Corrections	43.0100
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration	43.0103
Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations	43.0119
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy	43.0404
Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management	43.0115
Protective Services Operations	43.0120

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.