Scada technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a scada technician. Scada technicians usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or engineering technology. 51% of scada technicians hold a associate degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 124 real scada technician resumes to see exactly what scada technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for scada technicians are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

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

What education do you need to become a scada technician?

What degree do you need to be a scada technician?

The most common degree for scada technicians is associate degree, with 51% of scada technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 25% and bachelor's degree degree at 12%.

Associate, 51%

Bachelor's, 25%

High School Diploma, 12%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a scada technician?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a scada technician. 19% of scada technicians major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a scada technician include electrical engineering technology and engineering technology.

Electrical Engineering, 19%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 18%

Engineering Technology, 8%

Electrical/Electronics Maintenance And Repair Technology, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for scada technicians

Scada technicians often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, Colorado Technical University, and Louisiana College. Here are the most common colleges for scada technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Scada technician common college	Percentages
Texas A&M University	12.50%
Colorado Technical University	8.33%
Louisiana College	8.33%
Western Washington University	4.17%
University of Houston	4.17%

Show more common scada technician colleges

Best majors for scada technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	19.4%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	18.1%
3	Engineering Technology	8.3%
4	Electrical/Electronics Maintenance And Repair Technology	5.6%
5	Computer Networking	5.6%

Show more common scada technician majors

Best colleges for scada technicians

The best colleges for scada technicians are Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northeastern University.

A scada 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 scada 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 scada technicians.

1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$42,345

Enrollment

12,886

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

5. Lawrence Technological University

Southfield, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$33,570

Enrollment

1,991

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for scada technicians

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3. PLC, Arduino and HMI Projects over Modbus TCP: From Scratch

4.9

(422)

Design from A-Z control projects using Arduino, Soft PLC, HMI, VFD, Mod Bus TCP and Electrical panel with full simulation...

4. IT/Desktop Computer Support- Troubleshooting for Technicians

4.2

(306)

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

5. Learn SCADA from Scratch - Design, Program and Interface

4.4

(1,606)

Learn and practice SCADA in open source software...

6. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

4.5

(783)

Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

7. An Introduction to the DNP3 SCADA Communications Protocol

4.7

(287)

Learn the fundamentals of the DNP3 SCADA protocol using both a theoretical and practical approach...

8. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

4.1

(263)

The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...

9. Cognex In-Sight Machine Vision Industrial Development SCADA

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11. Process Visualization (Level 3)

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Learn HMI / SCADA hands-on by developing your own live interfaces for a running system...

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18. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control

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19. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system

4.6

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Upgrate your health and safety career by understanding the requriements for an OH & S management system from ISO 45001...

20. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

4.5

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Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

Top 10 most affordable universities for scada technicians

The most affordable schools for scada technicians are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for scada 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 scada technicians.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

8. West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,464

Cost of attendance

17,166

9. National University College - Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$6,675

Cost of attendance

12,941

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for scada technicians

The hardest universities for scada technicians to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for scada 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 scada 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for scada technicians

The easiest schools for scada technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a scada 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 scada technicians.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona

Altoona, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,094

4. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

5. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

6. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

7. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

8. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

9. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

10. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

Average scada technician salary by education level

According to our data, scada technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,833 annually. Scada technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $55,454.

Scada technician education level	Scada technician salary
High School Diploma or Less	$54,616
Bachelor's Degree	$55,454
Some College/ Associate Degree	$55,833

Scada technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Scada Technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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