Precision Production

Types of Degrees Precision Production Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many precision production graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	34,419
Undergraduate Certificate	20,585
Associate Degree	5,110
Bachelor’s Degree	46
Master’s Degree	10

What Precision Production Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, precision production majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Precision Production Majors

Precision Production majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Precision Production Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to precision production:

• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Abilities for Precision Production Majors

As you progress with your precision production degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

What Can You Do With a Precision Production Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with precision production:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Boilermakers	8.7%	$62,150
Sheet Metal Workers	8.6%	$48,460
Solderers and Brazers	5.6%	$41,380

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Precision Production?

Roughly 54% of the graduates are women, and 46% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of precision production majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	7
Black or African American	1
Hispanic or Latino	0
White	25
International Students	11
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

Geographic Diversity

Precision Production appeals to people across the globe. About 23.9% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Precision Production

Some careers associated with precision production require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to precision production have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	13.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	52.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	22.1%
Some College Courses	7.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	1.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.2%
Doctoral Degree	0.1%

Online Precision Production Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2,560	16
Certificate (2-4 Years)	158	0
Associate’s Degree	1,516	4
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	4	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Precision Production

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to precision production.

Major	Number of Grads
Personal & Culinary Services	157,937
Mechanic & Repair Technologies	110,408
Construction Trades	46,111
Transportation & Materials Moving	35,751

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.