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General Science Technologies

Types of Degrees General Science Technologies Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Science Technologies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	9
Associate’s Degree	44
Bachelor’s Degree	44
Master’s Degree	5

What General Science Technologies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Science Technologies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Science Technologies professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Science Technologies graduates include:

• Hydrographer
• GIS Technician (Geographic Information System Technician)
• Field Technician (Field Tech)
• Hydrologic Technician
• Hydro Operator
• Hydrologic Aid
• Groundwater Monitoring Technician
• Hydrography Technician
• Laboratory Technician
• Observer
• Laboratory Worker
• Tester
• Laboratory Assistant
• Quality Control Auditor (QC Auditor)
• Lab Analyst

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	30.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	10.0%
Postsecondary certificate	8.3%
Some college courses	8.1%
Less than a high school diploma	4.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Master’s degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Science Technologies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 61.8% of General Science Technologies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	63	61.8%
Men	39	38.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	50	49.0%
Asian	11	10.8%
Hispanic or Latino	28	27.5%
Black or African American	6	5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.0%
Two or More Races	5	4.9%
International Students	1	1.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Science Technologies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Science Technologies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$71,144

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

Online General Science Technologies Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for General 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	1	1
Bachelor’s	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.}

Related Programs

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

Program	CIP Code
Science Technologies Technicians	41
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians	41.01
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians	41.02
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians	41.03
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	41.99

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.