Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other.

Degree Overview

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, Other (CIP 15.0699) is a specialized category for advanced industrial specialists who oversee the complex workflows and quality standards of modern manufacturing. While a general technician might focus on a single machine, professionals in this "Other" category are the "Process Guardians" who manage the high-level integration of supply chains, lean manufacturing principles, and precision measurement. It is a path for "operational leaders" who want to ensure that mass-produced products—from jet engines to consumer electronics—are built with zero defects and maximum efficiency.

This field is ideal for "efficiency experts"—individuals who love organizing complex tasks, analyzing data to find "waste," and leading teams to meet high-pressure production goals.

What Is an "Other" Industrial Production Technology Degree?

A degree in this category is an applied STEM path that emphasizes industrial management, metrology, and operational strategy. You will study the physics of materials and the logic of production systems, but your focus will be on the "Science of the Factory Floor." Because this code often houses emerging specialties, your studies might focus on Advanced Composites Manufacturing, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), or "Smart" Supply Chain Management. it prepares you to be the technical lead who ensures that an entire production department hits its targets while maintaining the highest safety and quality standards.

Schools offer this degree to:

• Train "Production Coordinators" who manage the flow of materials and labor in a factory
• Develop experts in Metrology and Calibration, using lasers and sensors to ensure parts are accurate to the micron
• Prepare professionals for Lean Six Sigma Implementation, focusing on removing every possible error from a process
• Study Industrial Safety and Ergonomics, designing workstations that prevent worker injury and fatigue

What Will You Learn?

Students learn that a factory is a "living system"; they focus on the "Digital Thread" that connects the original engineering drawing to the final packaged product.

Core Skills You’ll Build

Most students learn to:

• Master Process Mapping—visually charting every step of a product's creation to identify bottlenecks
• Use "Statistical Process Control" (SPC) to predict when a machine is about to produce a defective part
• Design Industrial Layouts that minimize the distance materials have to travel across a plant
• Perform Nondestructive Testing—using X-rays or ultrasound to find internal flaws in metal without breaking it
• Utilize ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Systems to coordinate parts, people, and shipping
• Understand Quality Management Systems (like ISO 9001) to ensure global product standards

Topics You May Explore

Coursework is a blend of industrial engineering logic, materials science, and management:

• Production Planning: The math and strategy of scheduling thousands of tasks in a single day.
• Materials Handling: Learning how to move massive amounts of weight safely using robotics and conveyors.
• Work Measurement: The science of timing tasks to determine the "standard" speed of production.
• Cost Estimation: Calculating the exact price of every nut, bolt, and labor hour in a finished product.
• Industrial Robotics Integration: Learning how to fit new automation into an existing manual factory.
• Total Quality Management (TQM): The philosophy of making everyone in a company responsible for excellence.

What Jobs Can You Get With This Degree?

Graduates find roles as high-level supervisors, analysts, and quality leads in any industry that produces physical goods.

Common job roles include:

• Industrial Production Manager: Overseeing the entire output of a factory or manufacturing cell.
• Quality Assurance (QA) Lead: Managing the labs and inspectors who certify that products are safe.
• Process Improvement Specialist: Traveling between plants to implement "Lean" or "Kaizen" efficiency programs.
• Supply Chain Coordinator: Ensuring that the thousands of parts needed for a build arrive exactly when they are needed.
• Safety and Health Coordinator: Designing the protocols that keep industrial environments hazard-free.
• NDT Technician: Using high-tech imaging to inspect critical components like airplane wings or pipelines.

Where Can You Work?

Industrial production specialists are the "logistical backbone" of the economy:

• Automotive and Aerospace: Working for companies like Ford, Boeing, or SpaceX to manage assembly logic.
• Electronics Manufacturing: Overseeing the precision production lines for firms like Intel or Samsung.
• Food and Beverage Production: Managing the high-speed bottling and packaging for companies like Coca-Cola or Nestlé.
• Pharmaceutical Plants: Ensuring the strict purity and scheduling for drug manufacturing.
• Logistics Centers: Managing the automated sorting and distribution for giants like Amazon or UPS.

How Much Can You Earn?

Because these professionals directly control a company's profitability by reducing waste, they are highly valued by upper management.

• Industrial Production Managers: Median annual salary of approximately $105,000–$135,000.
• Quality/Process Engineers: Salaries typically range from $85,000 to $115,000+.
• Operations Leads: Median annual salary of around $90,000–$125,000.
• Entry-Level Production Specialists: Often start between $60,000 and $75,000.

Is This Degree Hard?

The difficulty is in the organizational complexity. You must be proficient in Algebra and Statistics. Unlike a traditional engineer who might work alone on a design, you must work with hundreds of people and machines simultaneously. It requires a high-pressure, leadership mindset—you must be the person who can stay calm when a machine breaks down at 2:00 AM and find a way to keep the factory moving. It is a very practical major that often involves "capstone" projects inside real industrial plants.

Who Should Consider This Degree?

This degree may be a good fit if you:

• Love the "Big Picture" of how things are made and shipped around the world
• Enjoy organizing people and tasks to find the most efficient way to get a job done
• Are a "data detective" who likes finding patterns in numbers to solve problems
• Want a career that allows you to move into high-level corporate management
• Enjoy being on the move in a dynamic, high-tech factory environment

How to Prepare in High School

• Take Algebra, Statistics, and Economics; these are the core tools of industrial logic
• Practice Leadership—being a captain, club president, or project lead is essential training
• Learn Excel at an advanced level; it is the "Swiss Army Knife" of production management
• Join a robotics or business club (like DECA or FBLA) to understand the business side of tech
• Read about Toyota Production System (TPS) to see the origin of modern factory efficiency

The ability to apply rigorous logic and technical management to the global systems of production is the hallmark of a successful professional in the industrial production technology field.