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Industrial Electronics

Types of Degrees Industrial Electronics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Industrial Electronics can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	524
Associate’s Degree	582
Master’s Degree	1,625

What Industrial Electronics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Industrial Electronics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Production and Processing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Industrial Electronics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Industrial Electronics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Industrial Electronics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Working with Computers	3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.8 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Industrial Electronics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Camstar Systems Camstar Semiconductor Suite	Industrial control software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
National Instruments TestStand	Development environment software	—
Eyelit Manufacturing	Industrial control software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
yieldWerx	Analytical or scientific software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Operating system software	Operating system software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Industrial Electronics graduates include:

• Semiconductor Dies Loader
• Lap Machine Tender
• Semiconductor Wafers Etch Operator
• Crystal Grower
• Semiconductor Processor
• Crystal Machining Coordinator
• Wafer Polishing Worker
• Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Engineer (MOCVD Engineer)
• Wafer Fabricator
• Semiconductor Wafers Etcher
• Crystal Growing Technician
• Manufacturing Technician
• Process Technician
• Semiconductor Process Engineer
• Crystal Finisher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	63.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	16.8%
Postsecondary certificate	11.7%
Less than a high school diploma	7.8%
Some college courses	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%
Bachelor’s degree	0.1%
Master’s degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Industrial Electronics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 93% of Industrial Electronics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	212	7.0%
Men	2,814	93.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Industrial Electronics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,830	60.5%
Asian	75	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	500	16.5%
Black or African American	242	8.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	34	1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%
Two or More Races	101	3.3%
Race Unknown	229	7.6%
International Students	13	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Industrial Electronics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Industrial Electronics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$36,246
4 years	$37,373
5 years	$41,963

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,963 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Industrial Electronics Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Industrial Electronics graduates earn a median of $37,373 four years after completion — about 2% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{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
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians	47.01
Appliance Installation and Repair Technology/Technician	47.0106
Business Machine Repair	47.0102
Communications Systems Installation and Repair Technology/Technician	47.0103
Computer Installation and Repair Technology/Technician	47.0104
Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation and Repair Technology/Technician, General	47.0101
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other	47.0199
Security System Installation, Repair, and Inspection Technology/Technician	47.0110

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.