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Science Technologies

Types of Degrees Science Technologies Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Science Technologies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,005
Associate’s Degree	3,661
Bachelor’s Degree	424
Master’s Degree	1,989

What Science Technologies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Science Technologies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Chemistry — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Science Technologies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Science Technologies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Science Technologies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Science Technologies graduates include:

• Ammonia Still Operator
• Chemical Operator
• Process Operator
• Chemical Process Operator
• Chemical Plant Operator
• Laboratory Technician
• Laboratory Assistant
• Laboratory Worker
• Hydrographer
• Catalyst Unit Operator
• Zinc Chloride Operator
• Pond Tender
• Chemical Treatment Operator
• Acid Operator
• Thiokol Operator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	35.2%
Bachelor’s degree	30.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.3%
Some college courses	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	8.1%
Master’s degree	2.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.5%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
Doctoral degree	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Science Technologies?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 49.2% women and 50.8% men among Science Technologies graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,492	49.2%
Men	3,600	50.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Science Technologies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,143	44.3%
Asian	406	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	1,906	26.9%
Black or African American	1,049	14.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	42	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	15	0.2%
Two or More Races	246	3.5%
Race Unknown	150	2.1%
International Students	135	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Science Technologies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Science Technologies 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	$52,429
4 years	$69,732
5 years	$78,423

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $78,423 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Science Technologies Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Science Technologies. 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	24	24
Bachelor’s	10	6
Master’s	2	2

^{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 Science Technologies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Science Technologies graduates earn a median of $69,732 four years after completion — roughly 84% 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.}

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.