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Major · Engineering Technologies

An associate’s-friendly path to manufacturing technician roles

Industrial Technology/Technician (CIP 15.0612) is a hands-on technician program supporting industrial engineers and managers in manufacturing operations. About 1,933 students complete it across 163 institutions, with five-year median earnings near $79,209 — strong for a primarily associate’s-and-bachelor’s technician credential.

Schools offering
163
Annual completions
1,933
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$79k

About this major

Industrial Technology/Technician (CIP 15.0612) is a hands-on engineering-technologies program preparing students to support industrial engineers and managers in manufacturing operations. The CIP definition organizes coursework around optimization theory, human factors, organizational behavior, industrial processes, industrial planning procedures, computer applications, and report and presentation preparation. Most accredited programs run as two-year associate’s degrees or four-year bachelor’s programs, with applied labs in CNC machining, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), quality measurement, lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodology. Many programs include capstone projects sponsored by local manufacturers and pathways to industry credentials like SME’s CMfgT or Six Sigma Green Belt.

The major fits students who want hands-on manufacturing work that bridges shop-floor operations and engineering decision-making. It rewards mechanical aptitude, comfort with structured problem-solving (Five Whys, fishbone, DMAIC), and patience for the procedural work that quality and continuous-improvement roles demand. Day-to-day, graduates work in process improvement, quality control, production planning, automation support, and continuous-improvement projects at automotive, aerospace, consumer-goods, pharmaceutical, and electronics manufacturers.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 1,933 students complete this CIP across 163 institutions, with five-year median earnings of $79,209 — strong for a primarily associate’s-and-bachelor’s credential. The associate’s-to-bachelor’s split is unusually flat: $78,816 versus $79,518, a $702 difference that signals both credentials carry similar wage outcomes in the technician labor market. The named BLS target, Industrial engineering technologists and technicians ($64,790, 1.7% growth, associate’s as typical credential) anchors the entry-level pay, and senior technicians or team leads with experience and certifications climb to $80,000-$100,000. Top producers split between East Carolina (166 bachelor’s), Olympic College (151 associate’s), Ivy Tech CC (142 associate’s), and Lone Star College System (75 associate’s) — strong community-college pipelines into manufacturing-heavy regions.

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
Industrial engineering technologists and technicians $65k +1.7% 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

$79k

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

Associate's

$79k

Bachelor's

$80k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you want hands-on manufacturing work that bridges shop-floor operations and engineering decision-making, you’re comfortable with structured problem-solving frameworks (DMAIC, Five Whys, fishbone), and you’re willing to stack 1-2 industry certifications (Six Sigma Green Belt, SME CMfgT, or APICS CPIM) during or shortly after the degree. The packet’s remarkably flat associate’s-to-bachelor’s split ($78,816 vs $79,518) means both credentials work — start with the associate’s if cost matters, ladder up if you want management-track optionality. East Carolina, Olympic College, and Ivy Tech anchor strong regional pipelines.

Reasons to pause: if you’re drawn to design responsibility, professional engineer licensure, or the leadership track in industrial engineering, the named four-year Industrial Engineering CIP (14.3501) is a stronger fit — it ladders into PE eligibility and design-engineer roles in ways the technologies/technicians track typically does not. The named target occupation (Industrial engineering technologists) grows just 1.7%, signaling steady but not aggressive demand. Manufacturing employment is also region-concentrated; if you’re geographically constrained outside manufacturing-heavy areas, the labor-market opportunity narrows. Verify capstone-project quality and industry-advisory-board partnerships before enrolling — programs without active employer ties produce weaker placements.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Industrial Technology/Technician

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
East Carolina University Greenville, NC 0 166 166
Olympic College Bremerton, WA 151 0 151
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN 142 0 142
Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX 75 0 75
University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS 0 70 70
Vincennes University Vincennes, IN 0 68 68
Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette, AL 65 0 65
Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS 0 56 56
Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN 52 0 52
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL 0 52 52
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Construction Engineering Technology/Technician

3,657 completions/yr

Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician

2,735 completions/yr

Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician

2,426 completions/yr

Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician

1,695 completions/yr

Recording Arts Technology/Technician

1,311 completions/yr

Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/Technician

1,277 completions/yr

Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician

1,104 completions/yr

Chemical Technology/Technician

1,095 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
Coursework spans manufacturing processes, quality control and Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, industrial automation and robotics, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), production planning and scheduling, human factors and ergonomics, supply chain basics, industrial cost analysis, and project management. The CIP definition lists optimization theory, organizational behavior, and computer applications alongside production support content. Most programs include hands-on labs in CNC, PLC programming, and quality measurement.
Is the bachelor’s worth it over the associate’s?
Look at the data carefully — it shows a remarkably flat split: associate’s grads at $78,816 versus bachelor’s at $79,518, a difference of just $702. Both are competitive technician wages. The associate’s opens the door to industrial engineering technician roles ($64,790 BLS median, 1.7% growth, associate’s as typical credential); the bachelor’s adds flexibility for moves into supervisor, quality manager, or continuous-improvement engineer paths. If your plan is technician work, the associate’s is enough; if you want management trajectory, the bachelor’s adds optionality.
What jobs do graduates land?
The named BLS target is Industrial engineering technologists and technicians ($64,790 median, 1.7% growth, associate’s as typical credential). Real-world destinations include manufacturing process technician, quality engineering technician, production planner, continuous-improvement specialist, automation technician, and industrial-engineering project coordinator at automotive, aerospace, consumer-goods, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Senior technicians and team leads can climb into the $80,000-$100,000 range with experience.
How does this compare to a four-year Industrial Engineering BS?
Industrial Engineering (CIP 14.3501, 4,841 completions) is the four-year ABET-track BS that leads to professional engineer (PE) licensure eligibility, deeper optimization and operations-research training, and design-engineer roles. Industrial Technology/Technician (15.0612) is the technician path: shorter, more applied, oriented toward supporting engineers rather than leading designs. Wages reflect the role split — industrial engineers typically earn meaningfully more, but the technician path costs less and starts faster.
What certifications add value?
Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt are widely recognized; Lean certification (often through SME) overlaps. CMfgT (Certified Manufacturing Technologist) and CMfgE (Certified Manufacturing Engineer) from SME are the named industry credentials. APICS certifications (CPIM, CSCP) add value for production planning and supply-chain roles. Stack 1-2 certifications during or shortly after the degree — they materially boost wage progression.
Where are the strongest programs concentrated?
East Carolina University (166 completions) leads on the bachelor’s side, followed by Olympic College (151, associate’s), Ivy Tech CC (142, associate’s), Lone Star College System (75, associate’s), University of Southern Mississippi (70), and Vincennes University (68). The mix combines Midwestern and Southern public regional universities with strong community-college pipelines into manufacturing-heavy regions. Look for programs with active industry-advisory boards and capstone projects sponsored by local manufacturers.