Which NCCCS Programs Have the Highest Employment in Manufacturing?

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A factual summary is pending editorial review. The complete official release is reproduced below with issuer attribution and a direct link to the original publication.

Official release

Source material from North Carolina Department of Commerce. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

In recognition of Manufacturing Month, this article uses data from the Common Follow-up System (CFS) to examine which North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) programs are most closely associated with employment in the Manufacturing sector1. The analysis follows three cohorts of NCCCS graduates (2003, 2013, and 2023) to identify the certificate and associate degree programs with the highest shares of graduates working in the Manufacturing sector.

Manufacturing Employment Rates Declined Over Time

Across all NCCCS graduates, the share employed in the Manufacturing sector two years after completion declined between the 2003 and 2023 cohorts. Among associate degree graduates, the rate fell from 8 percent to 5 percent. For certificate completers, the decline was smaller, from 11 percent to 10 percent. Over the same period, employment in the Manufacturing sector as a share of total employment in North Carolina fell from 16 percent to 10 percent.

The Programs Most Associated with Manufacturing Changed

For each cohort, the five certificate and associate degree programs with the highest rates of employment in the Manufacturing sector two years after completion are highlighted in Tables 1-3. Only programs with at least 40 graduates were included.

The leading programs changed over the 20-year period, although a few appeared repeatedly. Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology were among the programs with the highest Manufacturing employment rates in all three cohorts. Mechanical Engineering Technology also appeared among the leading programs in each cohort at one credential level (associate degree in 2003 and 2013, certificate in 2023).

2003 Cohort: Machining Led Manufacturing Employment

For the 2003 cohort, Computer-Integrated Machining had the highest rate of employment in the Manufacturing sector two years after graduation at 70 percent. Among certificate completers, Industrial Systems Technology had the highest rate at 54 percent.

Across these programs, the share employed in Manufacturing generally declined over time. Computer-Integrated Machining associate degree graduates, for example, went from 70 percent in year two to 37 percent in year 20. Among certificate completers in the same program, the rate declined from 44 percent to 33 percent. The data do not indicate why manufacturing employment rates declined over time.

There is no consistent pattern in employment in Manufacturing by credential level, although associate degree graduates generally earned more than certificate completers in the same field, particularly over time. Twenty years after graduation, associate degree graduates in Computer-Integrated Machining earned an average of $93,965, compared to $62,613 for certificate completers. Similarly, average annual wages for Industrial Systems Technology were $96,989 for associate degree graduates and $71,489 for certificate completers.

Table 1

Average Wages2 and Employment Rates in the Manufacturing Sector, 2003 Cohort

Year 2

Year 10

Year 20

Associate Degree

Graduates

Emp. Rate

Average Annual Wage

Emp. Rate

Average Annual Wage

Emp. Rate

Average Annual Wage

Computer-Integrated Machining

43

70%

$56,211

56%

$72,846

37%

$93,965

Electronics Engineering Technology

183

36%

$55,715

31%

$77,969

27%

$93,161

General Occupational Technology

92

18%

$63,099

16%

$74,688

12%

$84,164

Industrial Systems Technology

48

44%

$66,661

42%

$79,765

31%

$96,989

Mechanical Engineering Technology

53

42%

$48,156

34%

$84,975

23%

$82,117

All Associate Degrees

10,692

8%

$42,448

6%

$62,792

5%

$71,504

Certificate

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology

214

23%

$55,420

19%

$70,799

16%

$67,536

Computer-Integrated Machining

45

44%

$45,554

40%

$63,526

33%

$62,613

Industrial Systems Technology

57

54%

$63,090

44%

$75,600

30%

$71,489

Telecommunications Installation and Maintenance

48

23%

$33,528

10%

$43,294

*

*

Welding Technology

142

36%

$39,321

23%

$52,848

20%

$51,678

All Certificates

6,188

11%

$39,433

8%

$50,703

8%

$53,392

* Data is suppressed

2013 Cohort: Welding Became More Prominent

The programs most closely associated with Manufacturing shifted by 2013. At the associate degree level, Welding Technology joined Computer-Integrated Machining, Electronics Engineering Technology, Industrial Systems Technology, and Mechanical Engineering Technology among the leading programs. Several appeared in the top five at both credential levels, including Computer-Integrated Machining, Electronics Engineering Technology, Industrial Systems Technology, and Welding Technology.

Among associate degree programs, Computer-Integrated Machining had the highest two-year Manufacturing employment rate at 67 percent, followed by Industrial Systems Technology and Welding Technology at 45 percent each. For certificate programs, Computer-Integrated Machining also had the highest rate at 60 percent, followed by Industrial Systems Technology at 45 percent.

Average annual wages were generally higher for associate degree graduates than for certificate completers in the same fields. Ten years after graduation, Electronics Engineering Technology associate degree graduates employed in Manufacturing earned an average of $81,966, compared with $74,205 for certificate completers. For Computer-Integrated Machining, average annual wages were $70,187 and $55,638, respectively.

Table 2

Average Wages3 and Employment Rates in the Manufacturing Sector, 2013 Cohort

Year 2

Year 10

Associate Degree

Graduates

Emp. Rate

Average Annual Wage

Emp. Rate

Average Annual Wage

Computer-Integrated Machining

84

67%

$48,760

48%

$70,187

Electronics Engineering Technology

200

33%

$61,830

31%

$81,966

Industrial Systems Technology

123

45%

$59,761

35%

$74,039

Mechanical Engineering Technology

166

34%

$55,258

31%

$68,010

Welding Technology

58

45%

$29,988

24%

$62,692

All Associate Degrees

24,971

6%

$39,169

7%

$60,012

Certificate

Computer-Integrated Machining

181

60%

$39,239

47%

$55,638

Electronics Engineering Technology

119

32%

$60,553

34%

$74,205

Industrial Systems Technology

154

45%

$52,169

36%

$68,463

Nondestructive Examination Technology

53

34%

$51,419

28%

$77,694

Welding Technology

476

29%

$34,467

28%

$49,136

All Certificates

13,737

9%

$39,488

9%

$52,751

2023 Cohort: Manufacturing Technology Had the Highest Manufacturing Employment Rate

The mix of leading programs shifted again in the 2023 cohort, with Manufacturing Technology joining the top associate degree programs. Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology were among the top programs at both credential levels, along with Applied Engineering Technology and Mechatronics Engineering Technology.

For associate degree graduates, Manufacturing Technology had the highest Manufacturing employment rate two years after completion, at 84 percent, followed by Computer-Integrated Machining at 60 percent. Among certificate completers, Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology had the highest rates at 58 and 55 percent, respectively.

As in earlier cohorts, there was no consistent pattern in Manufacturing employment rates by credential level. Average annual wages were higher for associate degree graduates than for certificate completers in Applied Engineering Technology, Computer-Integrated Machining, and Industrial Systems Technology. Wages were similar for Mechatronics Engineering Technology graduates, averaging $62,965 for associate degree graduates and $62,206 for certificate completers.

Table 3

Average Wages4 and Employment Rates in the Manufacturing Sector, 2023 Cohort

Year 2

Associate Degree

Graduates

Emp. Rate

Average Annual Wage

Applied Engineering Technology

49

39%

$49,718

Computer-Integrated Machining

96

60%

$53,530

Industrial Systems Technology

118

50%

$63,492

Manufacturing Technology

45

84%

$54,811

Mechatronics Engineering Technology

132

54%

$62,965

All Associate Degrees

30,455

5%

$39,342

Certificate

Applied Engineering Technology

56

45%

$40,720

Computer-Integrated Machining

185

58%

$44,497

Industrial Systems Technology

224

55%

$56,559

Mechanical Engineering Technology

149

34%

$45,825

Mechatronics Engineering Technology

146

49%

$62,206

All Certificates

20,131

10%

$40,613

Across the three cohorts, some of the programs most strongly associated with Manufacturing employment changed, while Computer-Integrated Machining and Industrial Systems Technology remained recurring pathways. These patterns highlight NCCCS’s role in preparing students for careers in Manufacturing and show how pathways into the sector have changed over time. This information is particularly relevant to the Strategies to Advance North Carolina’s Workforce Development Progress initiative to design sector-based strategies that better align talent development with employer needs, including in advanced manufacturing. Understanding how these pathways change over time can help educators and workforce partners identify programs that contribute to North Carolina’s Manufacturing workforce and inform future workforce development efforts.

1

NAICS Sectors 31–33

2

All figures in constant 2025 dollars (CPI-adjusted)

3

All figures in constant 2025 dollars (CPI-adjusted)

4

All figures in constant 2025 dollars (CPI-adjusted)

Release text attributed to North Carolina Department of Commerce. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.