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Professional technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a professional technician. Professional technicians usually study mechanical engineering, business, or chemical engineering. 68% of professional technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,612 real professional technician resumes to see exactly what professional technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for professional technicians are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.
There are also many online professional technician courses to help get the education required to be a professional technician.
There are certain professional technician certifications that you should consider. These professional technician certifications include Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a professional technician?
What degree do you need to be a professional technician?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a professional technician?
- Business, 13%
- Chemical Engineering, 11%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for professional technicians
| Professional technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | 15.18% |
| University of Houston | 6.61% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.23% |
| Oklahoma State University | 6.23% |
| University of Oklahoma | 6.23% |
Best majors for professional technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 18.7% |
| 2 | Business | 12.8% |
| 3 | Chemical Engineering | 10.9% |
| 4 | Petroleum Engineering | 8.4% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 8.3% |
Best colleges for professional technicians
The best colleges for professional technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A professional 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 professional 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 professional technicians.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
6. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$53,880
Enrollment
6,590
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for professional technicians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for professional technicians
The most affordable schools for professional technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for professional 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 professional technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for professional technicians
The hardest universities for professional technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for professional 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 professional 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for professional technicians
The easiest schools for professional technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, the university of texas permian basin, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a professional 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 professional technicians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
Average professional technician salary by education level
| Professional technician education level | Professional technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,970 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $77,721 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,499 |
| Doctorate Degree | $90,719 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $79,005 |
Professional technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025