Post Job

Contractor/Technician Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a contractor/technician. Contractor/technicians usually study business, electrical engineering, or computer science. 47% of contractor/technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,863 real contractor/technician resumes to see exactly what contractor/technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for contractor/technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

There are also many online contractor/technician courses to help get the education required to be a contractor/technician.

There are certain contractor/technician certifications that you should consider. These contractor/technician certifications include Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) and Certified Network Computer Technician (CNCT).

What education do you need to become a contractor/technician?

What degree do you need to be a contractor/technician?

The most common degree for contractor/technicians is bachelor's degree, with 47% of contractor/technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 30% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 47%
  • Associate, 30%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a contractor/technician?

You should major in business to become a contractor/technician. 17% of contractor/technicians major in business. Other common majors for a contractor/technician include electrical engineering and computer science.

Most common colleges for contractor/technicians

Contractor/technicians often get their degrees at DeVry University, University of Phoenix, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for contractor/technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Contractor/Technician Common CollegePercentages
DeVry University16.36%
University of Phoenix14.95%
University of Houston6.07%
Strayer University5.61%
Pennsylvania State University4.21%

Best majors for contractor/technicians

Best colleges for contractor/technicians

The best colleges for contractor/technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A contractor/technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for contractor/technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become contractor/technicians.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-State Tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for contractor/technicians

Advertising Disclosure

1. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access

udemy
4.7
(4,916)

Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...

2. Basic Computer Course - Windows 7/10 - IT & Desktop Support

udemy
4.7
(1,213)

Basic computer course with troubleshooting skills -computer hardware and computer networking, for IT support technicians...

3. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

udemy
4.5
(651)

Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...

4. TCP/IP Training Video A Definitive & Easy To Follow Course

udemy
4.3
(906)

Essential TCP/IP Training Course For Professionals Who Manages Servers, Networks Or Any Other Network Connected Device...

5. Computer Network Fundamentals- IT Helpdesk & Desktop Support

udemy
4
(409)

Learn the basic fundamentals of computer networking & OSI model for desktop support and IT service desk technicians...

6. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

udemy
4.5
(1,653)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...

7. IT/Desktop Computer Support- Troubleshooting for Technicians

udemy
4.2
(306)

Learn how to troubleshoot desktop computer issues as an IT Support Technician on real-world organisational networks...

8. Master Class: TCP/IP Mechanics from Scratch to Expert

udemy
4.7
(798)

Networking Course, UDP, TCP IP protocol Suite, Flow and Congestion Control, CCNA and others, TCP/IP Complete Course...

9. Remote Desktop Services Windows Server 2016

udemy
4.6
(1,444)

Learn RDS Sessions and Application on Windows Server 2016 and Get Everything You Need To Start Deploying RDS...

10. QuickBooks For Contractors

udemy
4.1
(277)

Everything That Any Type Of Contractor Would Need When Using Quick Books...

11. TOTAL: Active Directory with Windows Server 2016

udemy
4.6
(2,189)

Identity, Access, and Authentication with Microsoft AD and Identity with Windows Server 2016...

12. Active Directory on Windows Server

udemy
4.6
(8,804)

Learn how to deploy and manage all aspects of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and many more technologies...

13. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell

udemy
4.5
(1,078)

[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...

14. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

udemy
4.1
(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

15. Mastering Modbus TCP/IP Network Communication

udemy
4.8
(1,422)

Learn how to design, build and troubleshoot Modbus TCP/IP client-server networks...

16. Java Network Programming - TCP/IP Socket Programming

udemy
4.2
(604)

Learn how to write powerful network applications...

17. TCP/IP Socket Programming in C#.Net For Coders & Students

udemy
4.5
(1,286)

C# Networking in TCP IP Socket Library - Examples in Win Forms With async/await Tutorial, Client Server Example Code...

18. Azure Active Directory Masterclass

udemy
4.6
(1,270)

Learn to be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Azure Active Directory...

19. Azure Active Directory And Azure AD Domain Services

udemy
4.5
(5,411)

Learn how Azure Active Directory, On-Premises Active directory and Azure AD Domain Services (AADDS) integrate together...

20. Identity & Access Management - Azure Active Directory

udemy
4.5
(636)

Learn about Identity, Directory , SAML , OAUTH , Open ID Connect , Identity Security and Azure Active Directory...

Top 10 most affordable universities for contractor/technicians

The most affordable schools for contractor/technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for contractor/technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for contractor/technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,262

Cost of Attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Cost of Attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,620

Cost of Attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,238

Cost of Attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,587

Cost of Attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,488

Cost of Attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,419

Cost of Attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contractor/technicians

The hardest universities for contractor/technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for contractor/technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for contractor/technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

4%

SAT Average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

29%

SAT Average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

43%

SAT Average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

40%

SAT Average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

31%

SAT Average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for contractor/technicians

The easiest schools for contractor/technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a contractor/technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for contractor/technicians.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

70%

SAT Average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

98%

SAT Average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions Rate

94%

SAT Average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions Rate

97%

SAT Average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,139

Average contractor/technician salary by education level

According to our data, contractor/technicians with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $73,323 annually. Contractor/technicians with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $68,166.
Contractor/Technician education levelContractor/Technician salary
Master's Degree$73,323
High School Diploma or Less$49,482
Bachelor's Degree$58,839
Doctorate Degree$68,166
Some College/ Associate Degree$51,192

Contractor/Technician Education FAQs

Search for contractor/technician jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse computer and mathematical jobs