Online Engineering Technology Degree in 2026: BSET vs BSE
Quick answer: An online engineering technology degree (BSET) is the applied, lab-heavy alternative to an engineering degree (BSE). It transfers apprenticeship credit better and is far more available online, but it is accredited under ABET ETAC rather than ABET EAC, which limits PE licensure in many states. Median pay for electrical and electronic engineering technologists is $78,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Online Engineering Technology Degree at a Glance
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Typical credential | Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET) | Program structure |
| Accreditation to look for | ABET ETAC (engineering technology commission) | ABET |
| Median wage, electrical/electronic technologists | $78,190 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Median wage, electrical engineers (for comparison) | $120,630 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Employment, electrical/electronic technologists | 95,130 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Projected change, electrical/electronic technologists | 0.6% with about 8,400 openings per year | BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 |
| Licensure | NCEES FE and PE exam eligibility varies by state for ETAC graduates | State licensing boards |
What Is an Online Engineering Technology Degree?
An engineering technology degree teaches you to apply engineering knowledge to real hardware and real processes. You learn circuits by building and measuring them, mechanics by instrumenting a test rig, and controls by programming a PLC. The math tops out around applied calculus. The coursework is built around labs, instrumentation, standards, and troubleshooting.
An engineering degree runs the other direction. It is a theory and analysis degree: calculus sequences, differential equations, statics and dynamics, thermodynamics, electromagnetics, and design courses driven by derivation rather than measurement. You come out able to generate a design and defend the math behind it.
That difference is not marketing. ABET accredits the two under separate commissions. Engineering technology programs are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC). Engineering programs are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC). Computing programs fall under CAC and applied science under ANSAC. The label on the accreditation is the single most consequential detail on your transcript, and it is the one thing prospective students almost never check before they enroll.
ABET ETAC vs ABET EAC: What the Difference Actually Costs
Here is the blunt version. An ABET EAC engineering degree is the standard, unquestioned path to professional licensure. An ABET ETAC engineering technology degree is not.
Professional engineer licensure runs through your state board using the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and then the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. State boards set their own education requirements for exam eligibility. Some boards accept ABET ETAC graduates, sometimes with additional years of qualifying experience compared with an EAC graduate. Other boards restrict the path or do not accept an ETAC degree for licensure at all. The rules differ state to state and they get amended.
Do not take a school’s word for it, and do not take this page’s word for it either. Before you enroll, contact your own state licensing board, give them the exact program and its exact ABET commission, and ask in writing whether that degree makes you eligible to sit for the FE and later the PE. If you plan to work in more than one state, ask about comity as well.
| Factor | ABET ETAC (engineering technology) | ABET EAC (engineering) |
|---|---|---|
| Emphasis | Applied, lab and hardware driven | Theoretical, analysis driven |
| Math ceiling | Applied calculus | Differential equations and beyond |
| Fully online availability | Common | Limited, often hybrid with campus labs |
| Transfer from associate or apprenticeship | Usually strong | Usually weak outside general education |
| Typical job titles | Technologist, field engineer, applications engineer, project engineer | Design engineer, analysis engineer |
| PE licensure | Varies by state; restricted or barred in some | Standard, accepted everywhere |
| Graduate school | Sometimes requires bridge coursework | Direct |
If stamped design work is the destination, the accreditation commission decides the trip. If it is not, the difference matters much less than the internet suggests.
What Is the Pay Gap Between Technologists and Engineers?
This is the number people should look at before choosing. The five engineering technologist occupations sit meaningfully below the two comparison engineering occupations at the median, and the gap widens at the top of the distribution.
| Occupation (SOC) | Median | 25th pct | 75th pct | 90th pct | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering Technologists, All Other (17-3029) | $78,350 | $60,390 | $99,310 | $118,330 | 59,930 |
| Electrical and Electronic Eng. Technologists (17-3023) | $78,190 | $61,610 | $97,650 | $115,700 | 95,130 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists (17-3027) | $74,510 | $59,510 | $88,110 | $106,050 | 36,190 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists (17-3026) | $66,120 | $55,760 | $80,280 | $99,150 | 75,570 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists (17-3022) | $64,950 | $51,490 | $80,650 | $98,980 | 68,520 |
| Electrical Engineers (17-2071) | $120,630 | $92,830 | $152,950 | $184,300 | 198,750 |
| Mechanical Engineers (17-2141) | $104,110 | $84,130 | $132,590 | $164,340 | 296,810 |
All figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Read the percentiles, not just the medians. A senior electrical technologist at the 90th percentile earns $115,700, which lands between the 25th percentile ($92,830) and the median ($120,630) for electrical engineers. In other words, the top of the technologist band overlaps the working middle of the engineering band. The technology degree does not cap you at technician pay - it caps how high the ceiling goes and how fast you reach it.
The second thing the table shows is scale. Electrical engineers number 198,750 and mechanical engineers 296,810, against 95,130 and 36,190 for their technologist counterparts (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The engineering labor markets are simply deeper, which matters if you need to change employers without relocating.
Why Engineering Technology Is More Available Online
Engineering technology programs are the ones you can realistically finish while working full time, for three practical reasons.
First, the lab work is more modular. Technology labs are built around discrete, kit-based or simulator-based exercises that a program can ship to you or run remotely, whereas EAC engineering programs frequently anchor labs and design capstones to campus equipment and cohort schedules.
Second, the transfer math works. An associate of applied science in electronics, instrumentation, or industrial maintenance usually maps into a BSET as junior standing. That same associate degree drops a large share of its credit against an engineering degree, because the analysis sequence has no equivalent. If you are weighing that specific trade-off, read associate vs bachelor degree and the bachelor of applied science overview, since the BAS and the BSET solve a similar problem in different ways.
Third, prior learning counts more. Registered apprenticeship coursework under DOL RAPIDS, ACE credit recommendations on industry training, military learning documented on a Joint Services Transcript (JST), and CLEP or DSST exams all tend to land better against a technology curriculum than against an engineering one. Our guide to college credit for apprenticeship walks through how to document a completed apprenticeship for evaluation.
One caution: ask any program for a written transfer evaluation before you pay a deposit, and confirm the school hold institutional accreditation from a recognized accreditor such as HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU or WSCUC, or a career-school accreditor such as ACCSC, ABHES or COE. Programmatic ABET accreditation and institutional accreditation are two different things and you want both.
Who Should Pick Which Degree?
| Your situation | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journeyman with an AAS, needs a bachelor’s while working | Engineering technology (ETAC) | Credit transfers, fully online options, applied coursework |
| Wants to stamp drawings or work in consulting civil or structural | Engineering (EAC) | Licensure is the job; do not risk a restricted path |
| Field service, commissioning, controls, test, or applications work | Engineering technology (ETAC) | Employers hire for hardware judgment, not derivations |
| Aiming at design or analysis roles at an OEM | Engineering (EAC) | Design teams screen on the analysis core |
| Moving into plant leadership, quality, or operations | Either, plus management coursework | Title matters less than process and people skills |
| Plans on graduate school in engineering | Engineering (EAC) | Avoids bridge coursework |
Two examples make the split concrete. An electrician who wants to end up designing and sealing power distribution systems should look hard at an online electrical engineering degree and the full electrical engineer career path, because the licensure requirement is real. A maintenance mechanic who wants to run reliability, tooling, or continuous improvement can take the technology route without losing much - see industrial engineer and the machinist to industrial engineer bridge for how that transition usually happens.
If you are still deciding, which engineering degree fits your trade sorts the options by the trade you are coming from.
How Do You Keep the Engineering Door Open?
If you pick engineering technology but want to preserve optionality, do these four things while you are enrolled.
- Confirm FE eligibility in writing. Ask your state board whether your specific ETAC program qualifies you to sit for the NCEES FE exam. In several states it does. Sitting for the FE early, while the math is fresh, is the single highest-value hedge available to you.
- Take the math anyway. Add differential equations and a calculus-based physics sequence as electives. If you later transfer into an ABET EAC program, those are the courses that gate everything, and they are the ones that will not be waived.
- Get transfer decisions before you need them. If an engineering degree might follow, ask two or three EAC programs how they would evaluate your BSET coursework, in writing, before you finish. See degree completion programs for how completion tracks handle this.
- Build credentials that do not care about the commission. PMI’s CAPM and PMP, ASCM’s CPIM and CSCP, and BCSP’s ASP and CSP all evaluate experience and exams rather than your ABET commission. They move a technologist into project, supply chain, and safety leadership without any licensure question at all.
There is a fifth option people forget: employer support. Many industrial and utility employers fund degree coursework for incumbent workers, which changes the calculus on program choice. Employer tuition assistance covers how to ask and what conditions usually attach.
Where Does the Engineering Path Pay Most by State?
State pay data for the technologist occupations is not published on our state pages, but the engineering comparison is, and it shows how much geography moves the number. These are electrical engineer medians (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158,520 | 2,560 |
| California | $144,040 | 24,230 |
| District of Columbia | $143,000 | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $135,710 | 1,600 |
| Washington | $132,710 | 7,610 |
On the mechanical side, the pattern repeats: New Mexico posts a $157,710 median and California $130,900, while Michigan carries the largest employment at 34,630 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among technologists, the highest published state medians include Maine at $107,060 and Louisiana at $102,800 for the mechanical group, with California holding the largest technologist headcounts in most categories (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Full career detail sits on the mechanical engineer page.
What Is the Job Outlook for Engineering Technologists?
Flat to slightly up. That is the honest read.
| Occupation | 2024 employment | 2034 employment | Change | Annual openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronic Eng. Technologists | 93,700 | 94,300 | 0.6% | 8,400 |
| Mechanical Engineering Technologists | 38,300 | 38,300 | 0.0% | 3,200 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists | 64,900 | 66,200 | 2.1% | 5,500 |
| Industrial Engineering Technologists | 74,600 | 75,900 | 1.7% | 6,300 |
| Engineering Technologists, All Other | 67,300 | 68,300 | 1.5% | 5,700 |
| Electrical Engineers | 192,000 | 205,700 | 7.2% | 11,700 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 293,100 | 319,600 | 9.1% | 18,100 |
All figures: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34.
The technologist occupations grow slowly, while electrical engineers are projected at 7.2% and mechanical engineers at 9.1% over the same decade (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). But growth rate is the wrong number for a career changer. Openings are the right one: 8,400 openings a year against 95,130 electrical and electronic technologists is steady replacement hiring, driven mostly by retirements. Slow-growing occupations with an aging workforce still hire constantly.
What Do You Actually Study, and How Long Does It Take?
A bachelor’s is typically 120 credit hours: four years full-time, and commonly five to six years part-time while working. With a completed associate degree and evaluated apprenticeship or military credit, many working students enter with junior standing.
The BSET core usually covers applied calculus and statistics, circuits and electronics or statics and strength of materials depending on track, instrumentation and measurement, materials, CAD and modeling, industrial controls and automation, applicable codes and standards, project management, and a capstone built around a real system rather than a paper design. Programs delivered in 8-week terms are common, which suits shift workers. Cost varies widely by school type and residency status; public in-state online programs are generally the value benchmark, and employer support changes the picture more than sticker comparisons do.
Related applied bachelor’s options worth comparing side by side include the online industrial technology degree, the online mechanical engineering degree if you want the EAC route, and facilities manager if plant and building operations leadership is the real target. Tradespeople specifically moving from the tools into design should read electrician to engineer, which walks the licensure question in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between engineering technology and engineering?
Engineering technology is applied and lab-heavy: you implement, test, troubleshoot, and maintain designs. Engineering is analysis-heavy: you derive and own the design math. ABET accredits them under different commissions - ETAC for engineering technology and EAC for engineering - and that accreditation label, not the school name, is what employers and state licensing boards actually read.
Can you get a PE license with an engineering technology degree?
It depends entirely on your state. Some boards accept ABET ETAC graduates for the NCEES FE and PE exams, sometimes with extra qualifying experience; others restrict or bar the path and require an ABET EAC engineering degree. Rules differ by state and change over time, so confirm the current requirement directly with your own state licensing board before you enroll.
Is an online engineering technology degree respected by employers?
Employers care about ABET accreditation and delivery quality, not the word online. An ABET ETAC program carries the same accreditation whether it is taught on campus or at a distance, and the regional accreditor behind the school - HLC, SACSCOC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU, or WSCUC - is what makes the credits transfer. Verify both before applying.
How much do engineering technologists make?
The national median annual wage is $78,190 for electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians, $74,510 for mechanical, $66,120 for industrial, and $64,950 for civil (BLS OEWS, May 2025). By comparison, electrical engineers post a median of $120,630 and mechanical engineers $104,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is engineering technology easier than engineering?
The math load is lighter. Engineering technology stops around applied calculus, while an engineering degree runs through differential equations and heavy theory-based analysis. That is why technology courses transfer more cleanly from an associate degree or apprenticeship, and why the coursework maps onto work a journeyman already does. Easier is not the same as less valuable.
Can an engineering technology degree transfer into an engineering degree later?
Partially. General education, applied math, physics, and some lab credit usually transfer, but the analysis core of an ABET EAC engineering degree rarely does, so expect to repeat sequence courses. If licensure is a real goal, get a written transfer evaluation in writing first. Individual outcomes may vary by school and program.
Which engineering technology field pays the most?
Among the technologist occupations, the highest medians are the all other engineering technologists group at $78,350 and electrical and electronic engineering technologists at $78,190 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). At the 90th percentile, those same two groups reach $118,330 and $115,700 respectively (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is an engineering technology degree worth it for a working tradesperson?
For most journeymen it is the realistic option: it transfers apprenticeship and associate credit better, it is far more available fully online, and it moves you into salaried technical roles. The trade-off is a lower wage ceiling and restricted licensure. Choose it when the goal is technical or supervisory work, not stamped design.
Related Guides and Degree Paths
- Electrical Engineer - the EAC-degree career the BSET is most often compared against
- Mechanical Engineer - pay, outlook, and licensing for the largest engineering occupation
- Industrial Engineer - the process and operations path most open to technology graduates
- Facilities Manager - where an applied bachelor’s plus trade experience pays off fastest
- Electrician to Engineer - the licensure-aware transition plan for licensed electricians
- Machinist to Industrial Engineer - how shop-floor experience converts into process engineering
- Online Electrical Engineering Degree - the ABET EAC alternative if the PE is your goal
- Online Industrial Technology Degree - a close cousin aimed at operations and manufacturing
- Which Engineering Degree Fits Your Trade - pick by the trade you already work in
- College Credit for Apprenticeship - document your apprenticeship for transfer evaluation
- Online Degrees for Tradespeople - the full catalog of online paths on this site
- Trade Careers That Require a 4-Year Degree - what a bachelor’s actually unlocks
Engineering Technology Degree Programs by State
State pay, licensing and metro-level data for this degree. Wage and employment figures on every state page come from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Alabama * Alaska * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Colorado * Connecticut * Delaware * District of Columbia * Florida * Georgia * Hawaii * Idaho * Illinois * Indiana * Iowa * Kansas * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maine * Maryland * Massachusetts * Michigan * Minnesota * Mississippi * Missouri * Montana * Nebraska * Nevada * New Hampshire * New Jersey * New Mexico * New York * North Carolina * North Dakota * Ohio * Oklahoma * Oregon * Pennsylvania * Rhode Island * South Carolina * South Dakota * Tennessee * Texas * Utah * Vermont * Virginia * Washington * West Virginia * Wisconsin * Wyoming
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3023), Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3022), Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3026), Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (SOC 17-3027), Engineering Technologists and Technicians Except Drafters All Other (SOC 17-3029), Electrical Engineers (SOC 17-2071), Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
- ABET - Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) criteria
- NCEES - Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.