Florida·Architecture and Engineering Occupations·SOC 17-3029

Best Engineering Technologist programs in Florida, ranked by enrollment

All engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, not listed.

55 schools in Florida run programs that feed this job, graduating 3,947 people a year. The job pays a median of $70,500 in Florida across about 2,820 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledFiber Optics InstructorLaser Technician (Laser Tech)Optics Technician (Optics Tech)Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech)NDT Specialist (Non-Destructive Testing Specialist)NDT Technician (Non-Destructive Testing Technician)NDE Technician (Non-Destructive Evaluation Technician)NDT Technical Specialist (Non-Destructive Testing Technical Specialist)
Graduates / yr
3,947
in Florida
Median pay · Florida
$70,500
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
2,820
people employed
Schools
55
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
60%
across those schools
Median net price
$17,832
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Florida that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

10 programs in Florida that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Florida (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Florida page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 15.0501In Florida
3,109
78.8%
49$36,407$10,250
2
CIP 15.1299In Florida
649
16.4%
1$48,829$21,696
3
CIP 15.0401In Florida
51
1.3%
6$60,286$15,383
4
CIP 15.1701In Florida
32
0.8%
4$63,554$17,750
5
CIP 15.0304In Florida
28
0.7%
4$59,859$15,372
6
CIP 15.1202In Florida
22
0.6%
2$48,829$21,696
7
CIP 15.0101In Florida
17
0.4%
1$50,625$21,717
8
CIP 15.1201In Florida
16
0.4%
3$48,829$21,696
9
CIP 15.1703In Florida
14
0.4%
3$63,554$17,750
10
CIP 15.0617In Florida
9
0.2%
2$57,188$22,000

Top 25 schools in Florida

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 6 of the 55 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1South Florida Institute of Technology
Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1,439Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician$33,76083%$29,731
2Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
649Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other$58,32144%$32,163
3College of Business and Technology
Cutler Bay, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
106Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician88%$17,658
4College of Business and Technology
Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
105Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician$34,20693%$17,832
5Florida Academy
Fort Myers, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
104Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician$42,76971%$13,489
6College of Business and Technology
Hialeah, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
100Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician$41,81496%$11,246
7Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, FL Public · 3 feeder programs
87Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician45%
8Seminole State College of Florida
Sanford, FL Public · 3 feeder programs
85Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician41%
9Atlantic Technical College
Coconut Creek, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
81Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician65%
10Lively Technical College
Tallahassee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
71Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician51%
11Manatee Technical College
Bradenton, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
69Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician64%
12Pinellas Technical College - St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
64Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician60%
13Osceola Technical College
Kissimmee, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
59Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician47%
14Sheridan Technical College
Hollywood, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
58Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician69%
15Okaloosa Technical College
Fort Walton Beach, FL Public · 3 feeder programs
55Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician82%
16Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
53Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician41%
17Fort Myers Technical College
Fort Myers, FL Public · 3 feeder programs
44Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician81%
18Tom P. Haney Technical College
Panama City, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
43Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician61%
19Daytona State College
Daytona Beach, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
42Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician43%
20Traviss Technical College
Lakeland, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
38Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician90%
21First Coast Technical College
Saint Augustine, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
37Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician77%
22M - DCPS The English Center
Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
34Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician92%
23Lake Technical College
Eustis, FL Public · 1 feeder programs
32Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician47%
24Suncoast Technical College
Sarasota, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
32Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician50%
25Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FL Public · 2 feeder programs
31Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician37%

All 55 schools in Florida

Every school in Florida with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Florida that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
South Florida Institute of TechnologyMiamiPrivate for-profit1,4391
Full Sail UniversityWinter ParkPrivate for-profit6491
College of Business and TechnologyCutler BayPrivate for-profit1061
College of Business and TechnologyMiamiPrivate for-profit1051
Florida AcademyFort MyersPrivate for-profit1041
College of Business and TechnologyHialeahPrivate for-profit1001
Indian River State CollegeFort PiercePublic873
Seminole State College of FloridaSanfordPublic853
Atlantic Technical CollegeCoconut CreekPublic811
Lively Technical CollegeTallahasseePublic711
Manatee Technical CollegeBradentonPublic691
Pinellas Technical College - St. PetersburgSaint PetersburgPublic641
Osceola Technical CollegeKissimmeePublic591
Sheridan Technical CollegeHollywoodPublic581
Okaloosa Technical CollegeFort Walton BeachPublic553

What engineering technologists and technicians earn in Florida

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Florida
$70,500
Mean annual
$73,680
Jobs in state
2,820
What the range looks like
10th pct$46,950Median$70,50090th pct$106,930
Versus the national median
-10.0%

U.S. median $78,350. Florida pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.74×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Florida

Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL
$88,710median
200 jobs
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL
$88,050median
140 jobs
Jacksonville, FL
$83,780median
390 jobs
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
$74,850median
70 jobs
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
$65,780median
460 jobs
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL
$79,440median
60 jobs
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
$62,300median
290 jobs
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL
$60,720median
30 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+1.5%
Little or no change
Openings per year
5,700
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
1,000
67,300 → 68,300
Typical entry education
Associate's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Engineering Technologists and Technicians page.

How to become a Engineering Technologist

Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0
Typical entry education
Associate's degree

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringActive LearningWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Florida

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 25 majors mapped to Engineering Technologists and Technicians25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 15.0001Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians
  • 15.0101Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
  • 15.0304Laser and Optical Technology/Technician
  • 15.0307Audio Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0401Biomedical Technology/Technician
  • 15.0501Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0599Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Other
  • 15.0607Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0611Metallurgical Technology/Technician
  • 15.0614Welding Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0615Chemical Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0617Composite Materials Technology/Technician
  • 15.0806Marine Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0807Motorsports Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.0901Mining Technology/Technician
  • 15.1103Hydraulics and Fluid Power Technology/Technician
  • 15.1201Computer Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.1202Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician
  • 15.1203Computer Hardware Technology/Technician
  • 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
  • 15.1299Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
  • 15.1401Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician
  • 15.1503Packaging Science
  • 15.1701Energy Systems Technology/Technician
  • 15.1702Power Plant Technology/Technician

Common questions

Answers for people weighing engineering technologists and technicians programs in Florida.

What degree do you need to become an Engineering Technologist?+

Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician, which awarded 3,109 degrees in Florida in 2024-25, 78.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming an Engineering Technologist?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians, Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 3,947 people a year in Florida.

How much do engineering technologists and technicians earn in Florida?+

The median is $70,500 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 10.0% below the U.S. median of $78,350. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for engineering technologists and technicians growing?+

BLS projects a +1.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 5,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Florida?+

55 institutions in Florida reported graduates from at least one of the 10 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do engineering technologists and technicians work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Fiber Optics Instructor, Laser Technician (Laser Tech), Optics Technician (Optics Tech), Photonics Technician (Photonics Tech), NDT Specialist (Non-Destructive Testing Specialist), NDT Technician (Non-Destructive Testing Technician) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-3029.

Engineering Technologists and Technicians in other statesTexasCaliforniaMichiganOhioNew YorkNorth CarolinaIllinoisNew Jersey

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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