Communications Technology/Technician Degree
Students study the technical systems behind modern communications, including broadcast equipment, networking infrastructure, and digital media production tools. Graduates typically pursue careers as broadcast engineers, telecommunications technicians, media production specialists, and technical support professionals for media companies. This major emphasizes hands-on technical skills over theory.
What Communications Technology/Technician Graduates Do
Your career will be hands-on, bringing media to life from behind the scenes. You might spend your days as a film and video editor, assembling raw footage, color-grading scenes, and syncing audio to build a final narrative for a web series or commercial. Or, you could be a broadcast technician at a TV station, monitoring live signals and troubleshooting equipment under pressure. Other paths include working as a sound engineer, setting up microphones for a podcast or mixing audio for a live concert.
Entry-level roles often involve assisting senior technicians, but with experience, you’ll lead your own projects, from managing post-production workflows to engineering complex live broadcasts. While digital content creation roles like video editing are growing, traditional broadcast and sound engineering positions face some headwinds.
AI will significantly change your day-to-day work by automating routine tasks like initial edits and audio cleanup. The jobs aren't vanishing, but your focus will shift from manual execution to using AI tools for speed and making the final creative and technical judgments. Adaptability will be key to your success.
Common Career Paths
Where Communications Technology/Technician graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 9,600 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media and communication workers, all other | 3,000 | +2.7% | 0% | |
| Film and video editors | 3,600 | +4.0% | 53% | |
| Sound engineering technicians | 1,200 | -1.7% | 43% | |
| Broadcast technicians | 1,800 | -2.8% | 52% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Communications Technology/Technician
4 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA |
28 29–29 |
$23,826/yr | 11.5x |
| 2 | CUNY York College Jamaica, NY |
23 26–24 |
$27,064/yr | 8.2x |
| 3 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon Bayamon, PR |
17 16–18 |
$11,940/yr | 10.0x |
| 4 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL |
13 12–14 |
$15,893/yr | 0.5x |
Highest Earning Communications Technology/Technician Programs
Schools where Communications Technology/Technician graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| CUNY York College | $27,064/yr | 23 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | $23,826/yr | 28 |
| Full Sail University | $15,893/yr | 13 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon | $11,940/yr | 17 |
Best ROI for Communications Technology/Technician
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Communications Technology/Technician.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 11.5x | $23,826/yr | 28 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon | 10.0x | $11,940/yr | 17 |
| CUNY York College | 8.2x | $27,064/yr | 23 |
| Full Sail University | 0.5x | $15,893/yr | 13 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Communications Technology/Technician offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.