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Major · Science Technologies

A two-year technician path into applied science labs

Science Technologies/Technicians, Other (CIP 41.9999) is a CIP catchall for two-year technician programs that don’t fit a named sub-discipline. Roughly 2,437 students complete it across 73 mostly community and technical colleges, with five-year median earnings around $54,080 for associate’s grads and $74,205 for the smaller bachelor’s cohort.

Schools offering
73
Annual completions
2,437
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$65k

About this major

Science Technologies/Technicians, Other (CIP 41.9999) is a CIP catchall — its definition reads in full, "any instructional program in science technologies not listed above." That means specific program content varies considerably by institution. Programs grouped under this code generally don’t fit a named track like Chemical Technology (CIP 41.0301), Biology Technician, or Geological Technician. Coursework typically blends applied math and physics, lab safety and instrumentation, statistics, and a domain cluster the school chooses based on regional employer demand.

The major fits students who want a fast, lab-based credential and have a specific regional employer in mind. It rewards procedural thinking, comfort with calibration and documentation, and patience with repetitive analytical work. Many programs are anchored at technical colleges with strong industry partnerships, so program quality is closely tied to the school’s placement record rather than to the CIP code itself.

One grounded observation about scale: 2,437 students complete this CIP across just 73 institutions, with seven of the top ten programs running 100+ associate’s completions a year. The four BLS-tracked occupations all list Associate’s degree as the typical entry credential and pay between $48,390 (geological technicians) and $60,130 (life, physical, and social science technicians, all other). Hydrologic technicians at $58,570 is the only tracked occupation with negative growth (-2.1%). The associate’s-to-bachelor’s earnings split ($54,080 vs $74,205) likely reflects students who used the two-year credential as a transfer platform into a named four-year science program rather than a same-CIP wage premium.

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
Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other $60k +3.5% Associate's degree
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health $49k +4.0% Associate's degree
Geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians $48k +1.5% Associate's degree
Hydrologic technicians $59k -2.1% 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

$65k

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

Associate's

$54k

Bachelor's

$74k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you want a lab- or field-based credential without a four-year commitment, you’re comfortable with structured procedures and instrument calibration, and you’ve identified a specific regional employer or industry the program feeds (utility, environmental consulting, public health lab). Community-college concentration in Nevada and Georgia suggests the strongest pipelines run through state economic-development partnerships. The associate’s pays $54,080 five years out, which is competitive for a two-year credential.

Reasons to pause: the "Other" CIP code groups programs that don’t fit a named track, so program quality and placement vary considerably — ask any prospective school which BLS occupation its graduates actually enter and whether course credits transfer cleanly to a four-year program if you might ladder up. Hydrologic technicians, one of the four tracked occupations, is projected to decline 2.1%, and the others are flat to slow-growth (1.5% to 4%). If a school offers a named-track CIP (Chemical, Biological, or Environmental Technician), the placement story tends to be cleaner than at a 41.9999-coded program.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Science Technologies/Technicians, Other

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NV 348 0 348
Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA 341 0 341
Truckee Meadows Community College Reno, NV 262 0 262
Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, GA 185 0 185
Frederick Community College Frederick, MD 153 0 153
Athens Technical College Athens, GA 151 0 151
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta, GA 137 0 137
Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ 0 114 114
Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI 92 0 92
Trinidad State College Trinidad, CO 66 0 66
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other

1,150 completions/yr

Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other

974 completions/yr

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other

733 completions/yr

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Other

550 completions/yr

Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other

465 completions/yr

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other

447 completions/yr

Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other

409 completions/yr

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Other

156 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
The CIP definition is intentionally short: "any instructional program in science technologies not listed above." In practice that means programs that don’t fit a named sub-discipline like chemical, biological, environmental, or geological technician work. Coursework varies by school but typically blends applied math, lab safety, instrumentation, and a domain-specific cluster. Read each program’s catalog and graduate placements carefully — content varies considerably.
What jobs do graduates land?
All four BLS-tracked occupations are technician roles with associate’s as the typical credential: Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other ($60,130, 3.5% growth), Environmental science and protection technicians ($49,490, 4% growth), Geological technicians ($48,390, 1.5% growth), and Hydrologic technicians ($58,570, but -2.1% projected growth). Real-world placements include lab technician, field technician, sample-collection specialist, and quality-control technician roles.
How does this compare to Chemical Technology/Technician (CIP 41.0301)?
Chemical Technology/Technician is a named track at 1,095 completions with curricula explicitly aligned to industrial chemistry lab work and analytical instrumentation. The 41.9999 "Other" CIP is broader — programs that don’t fit a single named track land here. If a school’s program is named after a specific science discipline (chemistry, biology, environmental), look first at the corresponding named CIP for clearer placement data.
Is the bachelor’s worth it over the associate’s?
The data shows a roughly $20,000 split — associate’s at $54,080 versus bachelor’s at $74,205. That’s a meaningful premium, but the bachelor’s cohort here is small (the CIP is dominated by two-year programs at technical colleges) and likely reflects students who used the associate’s as a transfer platform into a named four-year science or environmental program. Treat the bachelor’s number cautiously — it isn’t a clean comparison.
Where are the strongest programs concentrated?
Community and technical colleges dominate: College of Southern Nevada (348 associate’s), Chattahoochee Technical College (341), Truckee Meadows CC (262), Central Georgia Technical (185), Frederick CC (153), Athens Technical (151), and Wiregrass Georgia Tech (137). The geographic concentration in Georgia and Nevada is striking. Bachelor’s production is small and centered at Arizona State Digital Immersion (114).
What should I check before enrolling in a 41.9999-coded program?
Three things: ask which BLS occupation the program’s graduates actually enter (the four tracked occupations have wildly different growth and pay); confirm whether labs and instruments align with the regional employer base; and verify whether course credits transfer cleanly to a named four-year science program if you might want to ladder up. "Other"-coded programs vary considerably, so the school-specific story matters more than the CIP code.