Senior instrument technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior instrument technician. Senior instrument technicians usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or music. 49% of senior instrument technicians hold a associate degree, and 28% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 539 real senior instrument technician resumes to see exactly what senior instrument technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior instrument technicians are the West Virginia University and the West Virginia University.

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

There are certain senior instrument technician certifications that you should consider. These senior instrument technician certifications include Instrumentation Certification and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).

What education do you need to become a senior instrument technician?

What degree do you need to be a senior instrument technician?

The most common degree for senior instrument technicians is associate degree, with 49% of senior instrument technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 28% and bachelor's degree degree at 8%.

Associate, 49%

Bachelor's, 28%

Diploma, 8%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a senior instrument technician?

You should major in electrical engineering to become a senior instrument technician. 28% of senior instrument technicians major in electrical engineering. Other common majors for a senior instrument technician include electrical engineering technology and music.

Electrical Engineering, 28%

Electrical Engineering Technology, 16%

Music, 11%

Electromechanical Instrumentation And Maintenance Technologies/Technicians, 7%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for senior instrument technicians

Senior instrument technicians often get their degrees at West Virginia University, College of New Jersey, The, and Texas College. Here are the most common colleges for senior instrument technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Senior instrument technician common college	Percentages
West Virginia University	9.38%
College of New Jersey, The	6.25%
Texas College	6.25%
University of Phoenix	6.25%
Bellingham Technical College	6.25%

Show more common senior instrument technician colleges

Best majors for senior instrument technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Electrical Engineering	28.1%
2	Electrical Engineering Technology	15.7%
3	Music	10.6%
4	Electromechanical Instrumentation And Maintenance Technologies/Technicians	7.2%
5	Business	6.8%

Show more common senior instrument technician majors

Best colleges for senior instrument technicians

The best colleges for senior instrument technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

A senior 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 senior 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 senior 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 senior instrument technicians

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2. Introduction to Instrumentation

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

3. Fundamentals of Electrical Instrumentation

4.5

(596)

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

4. 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...

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

6. Complete Field Instrumentation Engineering Course

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

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8. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

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

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20. The Complete Electrical Power Control and Protection

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior instrument technicians

The most affordable schools for senior instrument technicians are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for senior 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 senior 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 senior instrument technicians

The hardest universities for senior instrument technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

SAT average

1,517

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. Princeton University

Princeton, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,503

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

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 senior instrument technicians

The easiest schools for senior 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 a senior 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 senior 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 senior instrument technician salary by education level

Senior instrument technicians with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $80,423 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, senior instrument technicians earn a median annual income of $79,863 compared to $78,626 for senior instrument technicians with an High School Diploma degree.

Senior instrument technician education level	Senior instrument technician salary
High School Diploma or Less	$78,626
Bachelor's Degree	$79,863
Some College/ Associate Degree	$80,423

Senior instrument technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Senior Instrument 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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