Top Industrial Technology/Technician Programs by Earnings
Updated
This page ranks the 46 Industrial Technology/Technician programs in the United States by median earnings of Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, highest first. SUNY Buffalo State University leads the list with median earnings of $98,018 four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $98,018 down to $40,017, with a median of $78,668. For 7 of the 46 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 44 of the 46 schools, alongside 2 private nonprofit programs. California State University-Los Angeles holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, ranking 3rd among nonprofit four-year institutions. The same school also posts the lowest average net price, at $3,967.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNY Buffalo State University · Buffalo, NY | $98,018 | $11,346 | $7,405 | 73.0% |
| SUNY Buffalo State University reports median earnings of $98,018 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $11,346. | |||||
| 2 | Ferris State University · Big Rapids, MI | $91,993 | $8,624 | $2,556 | 91.4% |
| Ferris State University admits 91% of applicants and reports a median federal debt of $23,451 among Industrial Technology/Technician completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN | $91,915 | $10,873 | $6,455 | 80.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Indiana State University left with a median of $24,000 in federal loans, and the school ranks 317th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 4 | University of Southern Mississippi · Hattiesburg, MS | $89,904 | $21,708 | $19,867 | 99.1% |
| University of Southern Mississippi ranks 4th on this list, with median earnings of $89,904 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $19,867 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | Ohio Northern University · Ada, OH | $89,697 | $24,478 | $18,525 | 74.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in Ada, Ohio Northern University reports median earnings of $89,697 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $89,629 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station posts a median federal debt of $22,353 among Industrial Technology/Technician completers who borrowed, and its earnings cohort of 149 graduates earned a median of $89,629 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $89,195 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| With an admission rate of 31%, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is the most selective school on the page and reports median earnings of $89,195 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Northern Kentucky University · Highland Heights, KY | $88,492 | $8,191 | $2,603 | 67.7% |
| Northern Kentucky University reports an average net price of $2,603 for families earning under $30,000, and its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates earned a median of $88,492 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $88,474 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus ranks 87th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing earned a median of $88,474. | |||||
| 10 | Tarleton State University · Stephenville, TX | $87,678 | $20,783 | $15,574 | 89.6% |
| Tarleton State University admits 90% of applicants and reports median earnings of $87,678 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of Northern Iowa · Cedar Falls, IA | $87,580 | $15,901 | $10,863 | 92.7% |
| University of Northern Iowa reports a median federal debt of $19,829 among Industrial Technology/Technician completers who borrowed, alongside an average net price of $15,901. | |||||
| 12 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $87,442 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale ranks 12th on this list, with median earnings of $87,442 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 13 | Lamar University · Beaumont, TX | $87,113 | $9,366 | $7,568 | 86.4% |
| Lamar University reports median earnings of $87,113 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,366. | |||||
| 14 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $86,970 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| With an average net price of $3,967, California State University-Los Angeles ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $86,033 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| Western Kentucky University admits 94% of applicants and its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates earn a median of $86,033 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $83,958 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville posts median earnings of $83,958 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, and its admission rate is 89%. | |||||
| 17 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $83,115 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato ranks 17th on this list, with median earnings of $83,115 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $82,740 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| An average net price of $5,263 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $82,740 for Industrial Technology/Technician graduates of Western Michigan University four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of Dayton · Dayton, OH | $82,332 | $29,533 | $21,736 | 65.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Dayton, University of Dayton reports median earnings of $82,332 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | East Carolina University · Greenville, NC | $81,852 | $15,739 | $10,046 | 89.2% |
| East Carolina University lists 201 graduates in the earnings cohort and a median of $81,852 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Shawnee State University · Portsmouth, OH | $81,446 | $14,381 | $12,310 | Not reported |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed from Shawnee State University left with a median of $23,000 in federal loans, and the school's Industrial Technology/Technician program reports median earnings of $81,446 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Southeast Missouri State University · Cape Girardeau, MO | $80,820 | $15,882 | $12,704 | 73.5% |
| Southeast Missouri State University reports an admission rate of 74% and median earnings of $80,820 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $79,068 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
| Mississippi State University ranks 299th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates earn a median of $79,068 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Farmingdale State College · Farmingdale, NY | $78,267 | $10,867 | $4,933 | 63.3% |
| Farmingdale State College reports an average net price of $4,933 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $78,267 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | North Carolina A & T State University · Greensboro, NC | $77,476 | $10,846 | $8,223 | 49.9% |
| North Carolina A & T State University reports median earnings of $77,476 for its Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $10,846. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Industrial Technology/Technician graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after finishing. For 7 of the 46 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. SUNY Buffalo State University leads Ferris State University by $6,025, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $58,001.
Job market context in the United States
Graduates of Industrial Technology/Technician programs in the United States enter occupations such as Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians, and Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians. The median annual wage across those occupations is $58,539, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $49,932. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 1.9% higher, with about 2,464 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wage figures, so the two measures are not directly comparable.
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