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Radar Communications & Systems

What Radar Communications & Systems Majors Need to Know

Programs in Radar Communications & Systems develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Radar Communications & Systems graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Radar Communications & Systems emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Radar Communications & Systems program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Radar Communications & Systems careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Radar Communications & Systems graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Radar Communications & Systems professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Data acquisition software	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Radar Communications & Systems graduates include:

• Test Technician (Test Tech)
• Laser Specialist
• Fiber Technician (Fiber Tech)
• Surgical Laser Technician (Surgical Laser Tech)
• Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)
• Optics Test Technician (Optics Test Tech)
• Fiber Optics Instructor
• Optoelectronic Technician (Optoelectronic Tech)
• Mobile Technician (Mobile Tech)
• Fiber Optics Splicer
• Electro-Optics Technician (Electro-Optics Tech)
• Laser Technician (Laser Tech)
• Fiber Splicer
• Fiber Optics Design Technician (Fiber Optics Design Tech)
• Optical Fabrication Technician (Optical Fabrication Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Radar Communications & Systems graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	25.4%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Postsecondary certificate	6.9%
Some college courses	6.8%
Master’s degree	2.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%

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

How Much Do Radar Communications & Systems Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Radar Communications & Systems 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	$54,214

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

Related Programs

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

Program	CIP Code
Military Systems and Maintenance Technology	29.04
Aerospace Ground Equipment Technology	29.0401
Air and Space Operations Technology	29.0402
Aircraft Armament Systems Technology	29.0403
Explosive Ordinance/Bomb Disposal	29.0404
Joint Command/Task Force (C3, C4I) Systems	29.0405
Military Information Systems Technology	29.0406
Military Systems and Maintenance Technology, Other	29.0499
Missile and Space Systems Technology	29.0407
Munitions Systems/Ordinance Technology	29.0408

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.