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Instrument technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an instrument technician. Instrument technicians usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or music. 48% of instrument technicians hold a associate degree, and 22% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 8,647 real instrument technician resumes to see exactly what instrument technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for instrument technicians are the Texas College and the Texas College.
There are also many online instrument technician courses to help get the education required to be an instrument technician.
There are certain instrument technician certifications that you should consider. These instrument technician certifications include Instrumentation Certification and Industrial Instrumentation - Level I.
What education do you need to become an instrument technician?
What degree do you need to be an instrument technician?
- Associate, 48%
- Bachelor's, 22%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an instrument technician?
- Music, 12%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for instrument technicians
| Instrument technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas College | 10.49% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.61% |
| Brazosport College | 8.24% |
| Bellingham Technical College | 7.12% |
| DeVry University | 6.37% |
Best majors for instrument technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 23.5% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 14.8% |
| 3 | Music | 11.6% |
| 4 | Electromechanical Instrumentation And Maintenance Technologies/Technicians | 10.4% |
| 5 | Business | 5.2% |
Best colleges for instrument technicians
The best colleges for instrument technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
An instrument 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 instrument 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 instrument technicians.
1. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
8. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,785
Enrollment
7,711
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
10. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
20 best online courses for instrument technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for instrument technicians
The most affordable schools for instrument technicians are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for instrument 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 instrument technicians.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for instrument technicians
The hardest universities for instrument technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for instrument 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 instrument 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for instrument technicians
The easiest schools for instrument technicians to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, kean university, and capitol technology university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an instrument 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 instrument technicians.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
9. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average instrument technician salary by education level
| Instrument technician education level | Instrument technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $55,231 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,135 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,545 |
Instrument technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025