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Other Science Technologies

Types of Degrees Other Science Technologies Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	12
Associate’s Degree	2,107
Bachelor’s Degree	333
Master’s Degree	66

What Other Science Technologies Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Science Technologies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 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 developed in a Other Science Technologies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

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

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

Common Job Activities

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

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Science Technologies graduates include:

• Smoke Tester
• Hydrographer
• Asbestos Abatement Technician (Asbestos Abatement Tech)
• Surface Water Technician (Surface Water Tech)
• Solid Waste Analyst
• Environmental Sampling Technician (Environmental Sampling Tech)
• Field Technician
• Decontamination Technician (Decontamination Tech)
• Industrial Pretreatment Program Specialist (IPP Specialist)
• Soil Lab Technician (Soil Laboratory Technician)
• Asbestos Microscopist
• Water Quality Specialist
• Lab Technician (Laboratory Technician)
• Process Environmental Technician (Process Environmental Tech)
• Environmental Science Technician (Environmental Science Tech)

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	53.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	17.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	16.3%
Postsecondary certificate	6.3%
Some college courses	3.6%
Less than a high school diploma	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Science Technologies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.1% of Other Science Technologies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,564	62.1%
Men	954	37.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,173	46.6%
Asian	174	6.9%
Hispanic or Latino	471	18.7%
Black or African American	464	18.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.3%
Two or More Races	113	4.5%
Race Unknown	51	2.0%
International Students	37	1.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Science Technologies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Other 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	$51,194
4 years	$56,388
5 years	$62,586

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $62,586 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Other Science Technologies Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Other 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	8	5
Bachelor’s	2	3

^{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 Other Science Technologies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Other Science Technologies graduates earn a median of $56,388 four years after completion — roughly 48% 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.}

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	41.00

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.