Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology

Stem Major

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Total Degrees
Awarded in 2024

271

declining 14%

Median In-State
Public Tuition

$4,772

declining 5.39%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$68,380

growing 4.87%

Average Wage

$114,259

growing 2.39%

People in Workforce

450,062

growing 2.76%

Average Employee Age

44.9

declining 0.0791%

About

In 2024, the locations with the highest concentration of Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology degree recipients are Everett, WA, Big Rapids, MI, and Wichita, KS. In 2024, the locations with a relatively high number of Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology degree recipients are Everett, WA, Newport, RI, and Big Rapids, MI. The most common degree awarded to students studying Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is a certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years.

Engineering Technologies Industrial Production Technologies

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology and the types of students that study this field. Everett Community College awards the most degrees in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology in the US, but IYRS School of Technology & Trades and Everett Community College have the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology.

Tuition costs for Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology majors are, on average, $4,772 for in-state public colleges, and $68,380 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology programs are Public, 2-year institutions (21 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 4-year or above (173 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology (2024)

Everett Community College
56 degrees awarded
Ferris State University
30 degrees awarded
Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology
28 degrees awarded

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology, is Public, 4-year or above (173 completions in 2024).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$4,772

Median In-State Public

$68,380

Median Out of State Private

Everett Community College has the most Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology degree recipients, with 56 degrees awarded in 2024.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

IYRS School of Technology & Trades
16.2%
Everett Community College
3.6%
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
2.6%

Out of all institutions that offer Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, IYRS School of Technology & Trades has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology, with 16.2%.

Degrees Awarded by County

Counties with the Most Degrees Awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology

Snohomish County, WA
59 degrees awarded
Mecosta County, MI
30 degrees awarded
Sedgwick County, KS
28 degrees awarded

This map shows the counties in the United States colored by the highest number of degrees awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology by year.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Engineering Technologies graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Engineering Technologies majors is $114,259 and the most common occupations are Software developers, Other managers, and Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers.

The industry that employs the most Engineering Technologies majors is Computer Systems Design, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

$114,259

Average Wage in Workforce

± $3,524

2.39%

1 Year Growth

± 4.29%

The average salary for Engineering Technologies majors is $114,259 and the most common occupations are Software developers, Other managers, and Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Engineering Technologies majors.

Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Engineering Technologies majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Engineering Technologies majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

The most common occupations for Engineering Technologies majors, by number of employees, are Software developers, Other managers, and Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers.

Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Engineering Technologies majors working as Materials engineers, Industrial engineers, including health & safety, and Mechanical engineers.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Engineering Technologies majors are Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, Chiropractors, and Physicians.

Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

450,062

2024 Workforce

± 16,447

2.76%

1 Year Growth

± 5.06%

The number of Engineering Technologies graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.76%, from 437,979 in 2023 to 450,062 in 2024.

The largest single share of Engineering Technologies graduates go on to work as Software developers (7.58%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Engineering Technologies by share of the total number of graduates.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

The most common industries that employ Engineering Technologies majors, by number of employees, are Computer Systems Design, Construction, and Architectural, engineering & related services.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

The highest paying industries of Engineering Technologies majors, by average wage, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals, Management of companies & enterprises, and Shoe retailers.

Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

450,062

2024 Workforce

± 16,447

2.76%

1 Year Growth

± 5.06%

The number of Engineering Technologies graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 2.76%, from 437,979 in 2023 to 450,062 in 2024.

The industry which employs the most Engineering Technologies graduates by share is Computer Systems Design, followed by Construction. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Engineering Technologies.

Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Engineering Technologies majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Engineering Technologies majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Engineering Technologies in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Engineering Technologies is 44.9.

The most common degree type these workers hold is a Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years. Male employees are more likely to hold Engineering Technologies degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Engineering Technologies (181 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

44.9

Average Age in 2024

± 0.473 Years

0.0791%

1 Year Change

± 1.5%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Engineering Technologies. The most common ages of employees with this major are 38 and 36 years old, which represent 2.89% and 2.86% of the population, respectively.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology are Certificate of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associates Degree, and 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate.

Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Engineering Technologies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Doctorate degree.

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Male (80.8%)

Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
181 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
23 degrees awarded
Black or African American
22 degrees awarded

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology for each race & ethnicity. White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination

White Male
23 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
9 degrees awarded
White Female
7 degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Associates Degree recipients in Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology.

White Male students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering Technologies.

Most Common Countries of Origin

India
57,971 degree recipients
Mexico
6,680 degree recipients
China
6,356 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

Europe
8.39 times more than expected
India
6.81 times more than expected
South America
3.68 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in Europe that hold Engineering Technologies degrees (8.39 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is India (57,971 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology majors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology majors need more than the average amount of Installation, Equipment Maintenance, and Repairing.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Plastics & Polymer Engineering Technology majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Installation is very distinctive for majors, but the Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening are the three most important skills for people in the field.