Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 15.06. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 971 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 433 | 5,963 | $56,893 | $57,294 | $10,140 8 programs |
| Associate's degree | 377 | 2,631 | $63,717 | $73,593 | $12,875 13 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 117 | 2,022 | $68,608 | $80,890 | $22,378 34 programs |
| Master's degree | 30 | 732 | $80,878 | $89,051 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 3 | 7 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 11 | 36 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City MO · Public · 23 graduates measured | $89,129 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 49 graduates measured | $80,852 | Data unavailable | $23,500 |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 40 graduates measured | $71,300 | $73,160 | $8,500 |
| Texas State Technical College TX · Public · 22 graduates measured | $69,861 | $61,718 | Data unavailable |
| University of Central Missouri MO · Public · 113 graduates measured | $61,952 | $72,417 | $24,250 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District CA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $59,659 | $80,363 | Data unavailable |
| Washburn Institute of Technology KS · Public · 24 graduates measured | $58,071 | Data unavailable | $10,140 |
| Washburn University KS · Public · 24 graduates measured | $58,071 | Data unavailable | $10,140 |
| Wake Technical Community College NC · Public · 20 graduates measured | $56,495 | $61,060 | Data unavailable |
| Danville Community College VA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $53,766 | $51,968 | Data unavailable |
| Goodwin University CT · Private, nonprofit · 120 graduates measured | $50,703 | $57,332 | $8,746 |
| Crowder College MO · Public · 26 graduates measured | $48,117 | $50,650 | Data unavailable |
| Connecticut State Community College CT · Public · 39 graduates measured | $45,524 | $56,635 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck State College ND · Public · 61 graduates measured | $101,448 | $121,039 | $12,000 |
| Baton Rouge Community College LA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $96,861 | $142,004 | $15,210 |
| Arkansas Northeastern College AR · Public · 28 graduates measured | $95,246 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| SOWELA Technical Community College LA · Public · 104 graduates measured | $86,981 | $127,701 | $9,613 |
| Olympic College WA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $83,043 | $90,003 | $5,834 |
| Hennepin Technical College MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $77,661 | $73,260 | Data unavailable |
| ITI Technical College LA · Private, for-profit · 127 graduates measured | $74,446 | $82,582 | $17,094 |
| John C Calhoun State Community College AL · Public · 59 graduates measured | $73,664 | $78,956 | $13,975 |
| University of Alaska Anchorage AK · Public · 21 graduates measured | $73,042 | $125,483 | Data unavailable |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 152 graduates measured | $71,143 | $75,799 | $11,728 |
| Tidewater Community College VA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $70,317 | $69,811 | Data unavailable |
| Texas State Technical College TX · Public · 74 graduates measured | $66,808 | $74,781 | $9,501 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $66,419 | $78,484 | Data unavailable |
| Hudson Valley Community College NY · Public · 23 graduates measured | $65,442 | $67,702 | Data unavailable |
| Mitchell Technical College SD · Public · 26 graduates measured | $65,084 | $52,992 | $10,325 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas Permian Basin TX · Public · 27 graduates measured | $91,215 | Data unavailable | $25,420 |
| Lamar University TX · Public · 32 graduates measured | $90,836 | $87,113 | $27,311 |
| University of Southern Mississippi MS · Public · 69 graduates measured | $82,853 | $89,904 | $34,206 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale IL · Public · 72 graduates measured | $81,873 | $87,442 | $23,625 |
| Ferris State University MI · Public · 134 graduates measured | $81,192 | $91,993 | $21,138 |
| University of Dayton OH · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $81,034 | $82,332 | Data unavailable |
| Weber State University UT · Public · 26 graduates measured | $80,213 | $94,454 | Data unavailable |
| University of Northern Iowa IA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $80,016 | $87,580 | $19,435 |
| Northern Kentucky University KY · Public · 19 graduates measured | $78,309 | $88,492 | $26,750 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo CA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $78,209 | $89,195 | Data unavailable |
| Tarleton State University TX · Public · 61 graduates measured | $78,018 | $87,678 | $22,400 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 165 graduates measured | $75,563 | $89,629 | $22,520 |
| Western Michigan University MI · Public · 36 graduates measured | $74,836 | $82,740 | $18,750 |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho ID · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $73,259 | $103,769 | $12,471 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 74 graduates measured | $72,405 | $85,665 | $26,824 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale IL · Public · 29 graduates measured | $103,548 | $107,455 | Data unavailable |
| Illinois State University IL · Public · 21 graduates measured | $77,924 | $75,054 | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina A & T State University NC · Public · 16 graduates measured | $72,393 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $69,312 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Eastern Illinois University IL · Public · 17 graduates measured | $67,636 | $76,047 | Data unavailable |
| Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico PR · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $67,309 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | $78,190 | +2.4% | Associate's degree |
| Industrial engineering technologists and technicians | $66,120 | +3.1% | Associate's degree |
| Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other | $78,350 | +2.8% | Associate's degree |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $53,750 | +2.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Semiconductor processing technicians | $51,430 | +8.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (9)
- 15.0607 Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0611 Metallurgical Technology/Technician
- 15.0612 Industrial Technology/Technician
- 15.0613 Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0614 Welding Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0615 Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0616 Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology/Technician
- 15.0617 Composite Materials Technology/Technician
- 15.0699 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other