How long does the training take?

Typically about two years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

608 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Engineering & architecture · SOC 17-3029

$78,350US median pay, 2025

+2.8%Projected growth, 2025–35

5,400Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Associate's degree
Work in: engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0501	173
Computer Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1201	91
Energy Systems Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1701	91
Biomedical Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0401	80
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	CIP 15.0101	79
Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1202	77
Solar Energy Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1703	31
Welding Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0614	27
Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0607	25
Laser and Optical Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0304	21
Computer Software Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1204	18
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Other	CIP 15.0599	14
Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians	CIP 15.0001	13
Packaging Science	CIP 15.1503	12
Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1401	10
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	CIP 15.1299	9
Audio Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0307	7
Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1103	7
Metallurgical Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0611	6
Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0615	6
Composite Materials Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0617	6
Computer Hardware Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1203	5
Power Plant Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1702	5
Wind Energy Technology/Technician	CIP 15.1704	5
Marine Engineering Technology/Technician	CIP 15.0806	4

…and 9 more related programs.

See the 608 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about two years for the degree. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other make?: The US median is $78,350 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 608 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Engineering & architecture

Industrial engineers · Civil engineers · Mechanical engineers · Electrical engineers · Architectural and civil drafters · Engineers, all other · Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians · Architects, except landscape and naval