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Major · Engineering Technologies

The niche associate's credential for engineers who move liquids and gases under pressure

Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology prepares technicians to support engineers developing fluid power and transportation systems — hydraulic actuators, pumps, pipelines, and pneumatic controls. It's a small field: only 17 degrees annually across 6 colleges, all at the associate's level. Five-year median earnings run about $76,756.

Schools offering
6
Annual completions
17
Typical degree level
Associate's
Median earnings (5yr)
$77k

About this major

Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology is a narrow applied-engineering program focused on the systems that move liquids and gases under pressure. The subject matter is foundational to a surprising amount of industrial and mobile equipment — hydraulic actuators in construction machinery, pneumatic controls in manufacturing automation, pipelines in oil and gas operations, and fluid power in agricultural equipment. The CIP definition frames the program as preparing individuals to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills supporting engineers in fluid power and transportation systems, and the curriculum reflects that applied scope: fluid mechanics fundamentals, hydraulic circuit design, pneumatic controls, pumps and valves, pipeline systems, and the instrumentation and calibration procedures that keep these systems running.

The major tends to attract students already interested in industrial mechanics, drawn to how things work at the physical-plant level rather than at a computer screen. Comfort with technical drawings, basic algebra and physics, and hands-on systems diagnosis matters more than abstract mathematical sophistication. Students who enjoy the problem-solving rhythm of tracing a system fault — where is pressure dropping, which valve is failing, how should the circuit behave — tend to thrive.

The field is remarkably small: just 17 degrees awarded annually across 6 colleges, all at the associate's level. Spokane Community College and Hennepin Technical College together account for most U.S. completions. The two career destinations — engineering technologists and technicians all other ($77,390 median, 1.5% growth) and mechanical engineering technologists ($68,730 median, 0% growth) — pay well relative to the associate's credential but show flat to modest projected growth. Replacement demand is steady because fluid power is embedded in the equipment base of construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other $77k +1.5% Associate's degree
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians $69k 0.0% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$77k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$75k

Bachelor's

$78k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you find industrial machinery genuinely interesting and want to understand how pressure, flow, and force translate into useful work across construction equipment, manufacturing automation, and pipeline systems. You may also fit well if you want a strong earnings floor from an associate's degree — five-year median earnings run about $76,756, which is competitive with many bachelor's programs in less applied fields. If you're aiming for hands-on diagnostic and systems work rather than desk-bound design, the curriculum structure matches the career pathway closely, and both target careers list the associate's as typical education.

Think twice if program access is a concern — with only 6 colleges offering the degree, geographic flexibility and program fit are limited, so you may need to relocate or commute. Think twice if you want strong job growth in your target occupations; the 1.5% and 0% projected growth rates for the two main careers don't signal expansion, only replacement demand. And think twice if you want broader industry flexibility: fluid power is a specialty, not a generalist credential, so if you're not sure whether hydraulics specifically is your interest, Mechanical Engineering Technology or Electromechanical Engineering Technology offer similar technician-tier earnings with wider employer pools and program availability.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Spokane Community College Spokane, WA 10 0 10
Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN 6 0 6
Stark State College North Canton, OH 1 0 1
Northland Pioneer College Holbrook, AZ 0 0 0
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE 0 0 0
Siena Heights University Adrian, MI 0 0 0
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Surveying Technology/Surveying

544 completions/yr

Power Plant Technology/Technician

73 completions/yr

Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician

56 completions/yr

Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other

43 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do hydraulics and fluid power technology majors actually study?
The curriculum builds on fluid mechanics and hydraulics fundamentals and moves into practical systems work: hydraulic circuit design, pump and valve operation, pneumatic controls, pipeline and pumping systems, and related instrumentation. Students learn how to design, test, and maintain fluid-power systems used in construction equipment, manufacturing, agriculture, and industrial automation. Lab work covers calibration, maintenance procedures, and diagnostic troubleshooting. The CIP definition frames the program as preparing individuals to support engineers and professionals developing and using fluid power and transportation systems — and that applied orientation shapes the coursework throughout.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for fluid power work?
Both careers mapped to this major list 'associate's degree' as typical education, so the two-year credential is well-aligned with the career pathway. Bachelor's completers report $78,409 median at five years versus $75,104 for associate's completers — a small premium that doesn't obviously justify two extra years of tuition unless you're targeting engineering management or design roles. The program itself is offered only at the associate's level, reflecting the applied-technician scope; advancement typically comes through certifications like the International Fluid Power Society credentials rather than additional academic degrees.
What kinds of jobs do hydraulics and fluid power graduates end up in?
The two tracked destinations are engineering technologists and technicians except drafters (all other) at $77,390 median with 1.5% projected growth, and mechanical engineering technologists and technicians at $68,730 median with flat 0% projected growth. In practice, graduates work in manufacturing plants maintaining production hydraulics, in mobile equipment companies supporting construction or agricultural machinery, in oil and gas pipeline operations, and with fluid power distributors providing technical sales and applications engineering support. Industrial automation and robotics integration is a growing adjacent direction.
How competitive is the job market — and how does tiny supply affect hiring?
Only 17 degrees are awarded annually across 6 colleges — exceptionally small supply, which typically means graduates from programs with established employer relationships get placed readily. The trade-off is narrowness: projected growth for the two target roles is modest (1.5% and 0%), so the field isn't expanding rapidly, but replacement demand is steady because fluid power is embedded in most industrial and construction equipment. Spokane Community College and Hennepin Technical College account for the bulk of U.S. completions, suggesting regional clustering more than a national market.
Is this the right major, or should I look at a broader engineering technology program?
Fluid power is narrow by design — it's one specialty within the broader applied-engineering world. If you're interested in hydraulics specifically, this major leads there directly. If you want overlap with electrical systems and controls, Electromechanical Engineering Technology covers more ground and has much wider program availability. If you're drawn to the mechanical side broadly, Mechanical Engineering Technology (about 2,735 annual completions across 227 colleges) is the larger parent field with more flexibility, though most of its graduates end up in the same mechanical technician roles at similar pay.
What about earnings over time?
Five-year median earnings run about $76,756 across degree levels — strong for an associate's-level program. The engineering technologist role ($77,390 median) aligns closely with the five-year earnings picture, suggesting graduates reach the target occupation quickly. Earnings growth typically comes through specialization — industrial hydraulics, pneumatic automation, or systems integration — and through certifications like the IFPS Fluid Power Technician and Specialist credentials. Moving into applications engineering, technical sales for fluid power distributors, or field-service management raises the ceiling further. Without parallel bachelor's pipelines in the field itself, advancement typically happens through experience and credentials rather than additional academic credentials.