Recent growth in manufacturing technician careers demonstrates just how essential the role is to the United States economy. With technology advancements and manufacturing progress on the rise, the demand for various types of manufacturing technicians is proof that the possibilities are immense for this state-of-the-art profession.

In 2022 alone, the modern manufacturing field added 367,000 new jobs in the United States, according to the Department of Labor. As of November 2022, the Connecticut Department of Labor exclusively identified 161,000 workers employed by The Constitution State’s manufacturing division.

To prepare manufacturing employees for existing positions and the occupational titles of tomorrow, workforce-ready institutions like Goodwin University offer students compelling and creative manufacturing programs for their future careers. Goodwin proudly offers career-ready certificates, associate-level distinctions, and bachelor’s degrees in manufacturing management.

Read below to discover five exciting manufacturing technician careers and the educational criteria required for employment eligibility.

1. Certified Production Technician (CPT)

• Roles and Responsibilities: Certified production technicians are skilled front-line manufacturing professionals that ensure production goals, compliance standards, and all regulations are met. Certified production technicians work in manufacturing and industrial plants and are trained in green production, maintenance awareness, manufacturing processes, measurement and quality practices, and safety.
• Requirements: Certified production technicians typically enroll in postsecondary certificate courses, like Goodwin University’s Certified Production Technician Certificate program. To earn the credential, students must complete 4 out of 5 modules and the corresponding online multiple-choice assessments.

An Advanced Manufacturing Advantage

At Goodwin, students can complete CPT courses through a 15-week hybrid format.

Graduates interested in pursuing their education are eligible for up to six college credits when applied to an associate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Manufacturing Management. CPT Certification can increase salary potential and industry productivity. For instance, if a certified production technician sought to advance their career, the Bureau of Labor Statistics identified that industrial production managers made a national median salary of $103,150 in 2021.

2. Industrial Maintenance Technician

• Roles and Responsibilities: Industrial maintenance technicians, otherwise known as industrial machinery mechanics, follow safety precautions and use protective gear to install, maintain, and troubleshoot complex electrical and mechanical industrial equipment and machinery.
• Requirements: Industrial maintenance technicians usually receive a year or more of on-the-job training or attend an industrial service technician certificate program. Course content focuses on computer-aided design (CAD), as well as electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic functions and how they integrate with mechanical drives and the properties of motion in an object.

An Advanced Manufacturing Advantage

Goodwin University’s Industrial Service Technician Certificate program is offered in part-time and full-time formats. Furthermore, employment for industrial maintenance technicians is projected to grow 14% from 2021 to 2031, with 53,200 openings each year, as stated by the Department of Labor. In 2021, industrial maintenance technicians made an annual average wage of $66,190.  

3. Mechatronics Technician

• Roles and Responsibilities: Mechatronics technicians operate, test, and maintain computer-controlled systems and electromechanical equipment. Mechatronics technicians also produce design solutions that streamline system processes for time-consuming tasks.
• Requirements: A mechatronics technician generally needs a minimum of a postsecondary Mechatronics Certificate to enter the field. Mechatronic Certificate students study Computer-Aided Design, motor control, pipe fabrication, as well as the mechanical, electrical, computer, and software skills commonly found in automated manufacturing settings.

An Advanced Manufacturing Advantage

Industry sectors that employ in-demand mechatronics technicians include artificial intelligence, aviation, cyber security, drone design, space exploration, and many more! In Connecticut, mechatronics technicians made an average annual salary of $69,400 in 2021, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

4. Quality Assurance Technician

• Roles and Responsibilities: Quality assurance technicians, also known as quality control analysts, conduct tests to accept, evaluate, and reject raw materials, intermediate goods, and finished products. Quality assurance technicians look for flaws and deviations from initial product specifications and test for durability, function, calibration, and customer satisfaction.
• Requirements: Quality assurance technicians, at a minimum, require a postsecondary certificate, like the Quality and Manufacturing Inspections Certificate offered at Goodwin University. In the Quality and Manufacturing Inspections Certificate program, students study engineering drawing interpretation, lean manufacturing, and they learn how to measure and test equipment.

Aspiring quality technicians earn college credits in programs like Goodwin’s Associate degree in Quality Management Systems. Quality Management System learners study a curriculum containing engineering blueprints, supplier quality control, materials and processes of manufacturing, and quality management, among other courses.

An Advanced Manufacturing Advantage

Goodwin University’s flexible Quality Management System program is offered during the day, evenings, and in on-campus and hybrid formats. To get to graduation sooner, some courses are offered on an accelerated academic schedule. The top ten percent of quality control analysts made an average annual wage of $80,810 in 2021.

5. Robotics Technicians

• Roles and Responsibilities: Robotics technicians build, configure, test, maintain, operate, and troubleshoot automated systems and robotic equipment used in production through computer programming, electrical schematics, and motor controls. With an aim for efficiency, robotics technicians work with robotic engineers to test new designs and effectively improve production processes.
• Requirements: Robotics technicians require at least a postsecondary certificate program like the Robotics and Automation Technician Certificate at Goodwin University. Students enrolled in the innovative certificate program study topics including Computer-Aided Design, motor controls, electrical schematics, robotics, and more! Equipped certificate graduates gain a strong understanding of maintaining, troubleshooting, and programming automated systems, and they apply those concepts to environments like manufacturing, supply chains, and retail operations.

An Advanced Manufacturing Advantage

Did you know?

Certificate and degree students enrolled in an advanced manufacturing program at Goodwin are eligible to receive a scholarship rewarding 20-30% off tuition.

Students enrolled in the Welding Technology program may receive a 20% off tuition scholarship, while 30% off may be awarded to participants of the following programs:

• Mechatronics Certificate
• Manufacturing and Logistics Certificate
• Associate degree in CNC Machining
• Associate degree in Quality Management Systems, and the
• Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Management

Ready to build credentials that will boost your career?

Learn more about Advanced Manufacturing programs at Goodwin!