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Special equipment technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a special equipment technician. Special equipment technicians usually study business, electrical engineering, or psychology. 37% of special equipment technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 460 real special equipment technician resumes to see exactly what special equipment technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for special equipment technicians are the University of Maine and the University of Maine.

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

What education do you need to become a special equipment technician?

What degree do you need to be a special equipment technician?

The most common degree for special equipment technicians is bachelor's degree, with 37% of special equipment technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 30% and associate degree degree at 23%.
  • Bachelor's, 37%
  • Associate, 30%
  • High School Diploma, 23%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a special equipment technician?

You should major in business to become a special equipment technician. 15% of special equipment technicians major in business. Other common majors for a special equipment technician include electrical engineering and psychology.

Most common colleges for special equipment technicians

Special equipment technicians often get their degrees at University of Maine, University of Southern Maine, and Colorado Technical University. Here are the most common colleges for special equipment technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Special equipment technician common collegePercentages
University of Maine10.53%
University of Southern Maine7.89%
Colorado Technical University7.89%
University of Phoenix7.89%
Texas Tech University5.26%

Best majors for special equipment technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Business15.5%
2Electrical Engineering11.3%
3Psychology7.7%
4Medical Technician6.3%
5Education5.6%

Best colleges for special equipment technicians

The best colleges for special equipment technicians are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

A special equipment 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 special equipment 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 special equipment technicians.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

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 special equipment technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for special equipment technicians

The most affordable schools for special equipment technicians are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for special equipment 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 special equipment technicians.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special equipment technicians

The hardest universities for special equipment technicians to get into are Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for special equipment 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 special equipment 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special equipment technicians

The easiest schools for special equipment technicians to get into are D'Youville College, bluefield college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average special equipment technician salary by education level

Special equipment technicians with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $45,411 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, special equipment technicians earn a median annual income of $45,043 compared to $40,817 for special equipment technicians with an High School Diploma degree.
Special equipment technician education levelSpecial equipment technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$40,817
Bachelor's Degree$45,043
Some College/ Associate Degree$45,411

Special equipment technician education FAQs

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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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