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Instrument operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an instrument operator. Instrument operators usually study business, civil engineering, or surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies. 42% of instrument operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,401 real instrument operator resumes to see exactly what instrument operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for instrument operators are the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

There are also many online instrument operator courses to help get the education required to be an instrument operator.

What education do you need to become an instrument operator?

What degree do you need to be an instrument operator?

The most common degree for instrument operators is bachelor's degree, with 42% of instrument operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 24%.
  • Bachelor's, 42%
  • Associate, 26%
  • High School Diploma, 24%
  • Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an instrument operator?

You should major in business to become an instrument operator. 12% of instrument operators major in business. Other common majors for an instrument operator include civil engineering and surveying, mapping, and hydraulic technologies.

Most common colleges for instrument operators

Instrument operators often get their degrees at University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Paul Smiths College, and North Carolina State University. Here are the most common colleges for instrument operators in the US based on their resumes.
Instrument operator common collegePercentages
University of Nebraska - Lincoln8.82%
Paul Smiths College7.35%
North Carolina State University5.88%
University of Florida5.88%
Texas Tech University5.88%

Best majors for instrument operators

RankMajorPercentages
1Business12.5%
2Civil Engineering9.8%
3Surveying, Mapping, And Hydraulic Technologies8.4%
4Drafting And Design7.7%
5Civil Engineering Technologies6.7%

20 best online courses for instrument operators

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1. Survey Data Collection and Analytics

coursera

This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...

2. Analyze Survey Data with Tableau

coursera

Surveys are used in a variety of scenarios, both in businesses and in research. Companies are using them to better understand consumer insights and feedback, and researchers are going beyond the traditional uses to learn more about the world around us. Tableau can help visualize survey data of all kinds in a useful way—without needing advanced statistics, graphic design, or a statistics background. In this project, learners will learn how to create an account in Tableau and how to manipulate...

3. Statistics / Data Analysis: Survey Data and Likert Scales

udemy
4.6
(505)

How to Process Survey Data and Analyze Likert Scales In SPSS...

4. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 3

udemy
4.3
(277)

Master the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs) to make your UAV mapping projects absolutely survey grade!!...

5. Use SurveyMonkey to Create a Survey and Analyze Results

coursera

In this project, we will walk through the survey making process and explore the many ways that SurveyMonkey streamlines and simplifies data collection. We will learn how the program is organized and how it operates, helping you feel comfortable and confident enough to create your own survey to meet your own individual needs. SurveyMonkey is a cloud based survey software which allows its users to create online surveys for free. SurveyMonkey can help move a business in the right direction by...

6. Utilize Survey Monkey as an Evaluation Tool

coursera

Surveys and evaluations can be used to reflect on your training or customer experiences. The data you collect can help to adjust your training and you can find out directly from your employees if they are satisfied. Customers can let you know what they are thinking and what they actually want. In this project you will learn about Survey Monkey as an evaluation tool throughout the cycle of developing an event. By the end of your time in this project you will have multiple evaluation surveys to...

7. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 2

udemy
4.1
(515)

Learn to work with Pix4D & Drone Deploy outputs on QGIS, Auto CAD & Google Earth. Start your own UAV mapping business now!...

8. Introduction to Instrumentation

udemy
4.7
(334)

This course was developed and based on my experiences (more than 12 years ) in Instrumentation ...

9. Design a User Experience Survey in SurveyMonkey

coursera

By the end of this project you will be able to design a User Experience survey that will collect data to uncover user needs, how products meet those needs, and mine insights that will aid in building and designing solutions. To do this, you will gain hands-on experience designing a User Experience survey with a free account on the SurveyMonkey cloud-based software service. Note: This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing...

10. Global Financial Markets and Instruments

coursera

Get a running start in the high-stakes world of financial investment! This first course is designed to help you become an informed investor by providing you with the essential concepts for long-term success in managing money. You’ll start by learning the role of financial markets and financial assets in a well-functioning economy. From there, you’ll learn about the wide range of financial instruments available in major asset classes, their features and valuations. You’ll explore how financial...

11. The Ultimate Guide for Land Surveying with Drones - Part 1

udemy
4.3
(1,178)

Master the complete workflow using Drone Deploy, Litchi and Pix4D. Start your own UAV mapping business right away!...

12. Complete KoboToolbox Training Course

udemy
4.5
(388)

Learn the basic & advanced techniques of developing & deploying mobile survey data collection forms with Kobo Toolbox...

13. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course

udemy
4.3
(259)

Flow, Level, Temperature and Pressure Instrument - Selection, Sizing, Calculation and Detail Engineering...

14. Quantity Surveying Building Estimation BBS with Excel & CAD

udemy
4.4
(1,052)

Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimation ,Quantity survey ,Cost Estimation ,Civil engineering, Building Estimation...

15. Fundamentals of Electrical Instrumentation

udemy
4.5
(596)

Master the fundamentals of instrumentation: Learn to wire digital & analog circuits and understand how they work!...

16. Know Read Understand Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams P & IDs

udemy
4.5
(1,615)

Learn how Process Control, Safety Instrumented Systems, Interlock & Alarms are represented in engineering P & ID drawings...

17. Quantity Surveying With Rate Analysis And Take Off-Beginners

udemy
4.2
(340)

Quantity Surveying, Quantity Takeoff, Estimation, Rate Analysis, Blubeam Revu, Planswift, Costing, Construction Drawings...

18. Introduction to process control and instrumentation

udemy
4.4
(2,479)

Learn how process control is ensured in process industries & how the main instruments measure the key process variables...

19. Quantity Surveying Templates for Effective Cost Management

udemy
4.5
(345)

Quantity Surveying, Payment Application, Payment Tracker, Variation, Claim, Material Claim, Guarantees, Price Comparison...

20. The Ultimate Guide to Logic Pro X Instrument Plugins & VSTs

udemy
5
(353)

Understand & master all of LPX instrument plugins and build any sound you want into your music production & sound design...

Average instrument operator salary by education level

According to our data, instrument operators with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $47,452 annually. Instrument operators with a High School Diploma degree earn an average annual salary of $43,240.
Instrument operator education levelInstrument operator salary
High School Diploma or Less$43,240
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,452

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.

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