
A rewarding future is in your hands!
At Wake Tech, we’re “hands-on”! With small classes, individualized attention, and faculty dedicated to your success, we can help you find the career pathway you’ve always wanted. Take a look at all the options that await you, and get started today! We’re here to help!
For more information call 919-866-5500
Credentials Key: |
||
AAS = Associate in Applied Science |
D = Diploma |
C = Certificate |
Wake Tech Community College A-Z
Area of Study |
Credentials |
Prepares you for: |
Entry- to mid-level salary range* |
Associate degrees for college transfer |
Transfer to a senior institution: Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Engineering (AE), Associate in Fine Arts – Art (AFA), or Associate in Science (AS) |
||
Accounting |
AAS, D, C |
Careers that involve analyzing, processing, and communicating information about financial operations; workplaces include accounting firms, businesses, banks, hospitals, school systems, and government agencies. |
$30,250 – $44,000 |
Advertising and Graphic Design |
AAS, C |
Occupations in graphic design; job opportunities found in advertising agencies, graphic design studios, printing companies, department stores, manufacturing industries, newspapers, and businesses with in-house graphics operations. |
$26,100 – $74,700 |
Agricultural Systems Technology |
AAS, D |
Occupations involving troubleshooting and repair of agricultural equipment, including farm tractors, planters, sprayers, and harvesters; entry-level employment in agricultural systems equipment repair businesses. |
$24,645 – $47,598 |
Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology |
AAS, D, C |
Employment as a technician trained to design, install, and service air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment; work with residential and light commercial systems, including start-up and preventive maintenance. |
$29,472 -$46,964 |
Architectural Technology |
AAS, C |
Positions that involve the preparation of construction documents, including environmental and structural systems, materials and methods, and building codes; employment in the architectural, engineering, and construction professions. |
$26,434 – $47,319 |
Automotive Systems Technology |
AAS |
Employment as an automotive services technician; workplaces include car dealerships, repair shops, and other automotive service organizations; eligibility to take Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) exam. |
$27,740 – $50,980 |
Baking & Pastry Arts |
AAS, D, C |
Occupations including baking/pastry assistant or assistant pastry chef in restaurants, hotels, independent bakeries, and pastry shops; opportunities in entrepreneurship or for advancement to pastry chef, cake designer, or bakery manager. |
$25,000 – $51,000 |
Biopharmaceutical Technology |
AAS, C |
Careers in pharmaceutical manufacturing, chemical quality assurance, microbiological quality assurance, product inspection, documentation review, manufacturing, and product/process validation. |
$24,568 – $45,082 |
Business Administration |
AAS, C |
Professions in business involving marketing, sales, customer service, finance, or business management in public, private, profit, and nonprofit organizations. |
$37,000 – $83,700 |
Business Administration/ Global Business Management |
AAS, C |
A career focused on managing and leading in a global economy to include positions in public, private, profit and non-profit organizations. |
$37,000 – $85,400 |
Business Administration/ Human Resources Management |
AAS, C |
Positions in human resources departments, including recruitment, staffing, training, compensation, and human resources development; work in public, private, profit, and non-profit organizations. |
$38,040 – $57,400 |
Business Administration/ Marketing |
AAS, C |
A career in marketing to include opportunities in advertising, sales, social media marketing, marketing research and application; working in public, private, profit and non-profit organizations. |
$31,200 – $55,680 |
Business Analytics |
AAS, C |
A career as a business analyst with the ability to analyze and propose methodologies which help firms increase profitability in diverse industries, including health care, marketing, information technology, and finance. Graduates qualify to sit for SAS certification exams. |
$35,000 – $60,000 |
Civil Engineering Technology |
AAS, C |
A position as an office or field technician involved in construction management, site planning, construction layout, site inspections or materials testing; employment in public and private sectors of the engineering and construction industry. |
$26,892 – $59,321 |
Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology |
AAS, C |
Employment as an entry level collision repair technician, workplaces include car dealerships, repair shops, and other automotive service organizations; eligibility to take Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) exam. |
$32,020 – $54,660 |
Computed Tomography – CT |
C |
Occupations involving skilled use of specialized equipment to visualize cross-sectional anatomical structures and aid physicians; eligibility for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists testing. (Advanced-Level) |
$54,184 – $67,600 |
Construction Equipment Systems Technology |
AAS, D, C |
Employment in construction equipment systems troubleshooting and repair; work on equipment including dozers, scrapers, loaders, and forklifts; entry-level employment in construction equipment repair businesses. |
$25,000 – $45,000 |
Construction Management Technology |
AAS, C |
Job opportunities including construction project manager, superintendent, foreman, or estimator in the residential or commercial construction industry. |
$34,253 – $43,210 |
Cosmetology |
AAS, D |
Careers in cosmetology, providing professional imaging, hair design, chemical processes, skin care, and nail care in salons and spas; graduates qualify to sit for the State Board of Cosmetic Arts exam. |
$15,962 – $47,383 |
Criminal Justice Technology |
AAS, C |
Professions in law enforcement, corrections, and security fields; positions include police officer, deputy sheriff, county detention officer, state trooper, parole surveillance officer, correctional officer, and loss prevention specialist. |
$32,508 – $56,319 |
Criminal Justice Technology/Forensic Science |
AAS, C |
Employment as a crime scene technician/processor (first responder) with skills in collection and preservation of evidence, sketching crime scenes with CAD software, and analysis, lifting, classification, and preservation of fingerprints. |
$34,410 – $56,360 |
Culinary Arts |
AAS, D, C |
Employment as a trained professional in food service with potential advancement to sous-chef, executive chef, or manager in restaurants, resorts, or as a business owner; American Culinary Federation certification is available to graduates. |
$23,000 – $55,000 |
Dental Assisting |
D |
Career classification as a DA II by the NC State Board of Dental Examiners, eligibility to take the Dental Assisting National Board Examination to become a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA); employment in dental offices, clinics, and dental schools. |
$35,390 – $50,544 |
Dental Hygiene |
AAS |
Professions involving the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of dental hygiene services; eligibility to take the state/regional and national exams for licensure; work in dental offices, public health agencies, and dental schools. |
$57,200 – $74,526 |
Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology |
AAS, D, C |
Jobs in vehicle repair businesses; entry-level troubleshooting and repair of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, including repair of engines, electrical and hydraulic systems, transmissions, brakes, and steering/suspension systems. |
$29,261 – $54,105 |
Early Childhood Education |
AAS, D, C |
Professions working with children in learning environments, including family child care homes, preschools, public and private schools, recreational centers, Head Start programs, child development programs, and programs for school-aged children. |
$20,300 – $45,300 |
Electrical Systems Technology |
AAS, D, C |
Positions in the electrical profession, assisting in the layout, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems in residential, commercial, and industrial facilities. |
$28,000 – $49,282 |
Electronics Engineering Technology |
AAS, C |
Occupations designing, building, installing, testing, troubleshooting, and repairing electronic components and systems; positions include electronics engineering technician, field service technician, maintenance technician, or production control technician. |
$32,500 – $66,470 |
Emergency Medical Science |
AAS |
Employment as a paramedic, with knowledge and skills in basic and advanced life support; eligibility for state and national certification exams; workplaces include fire and rescue agencies, air medical services, urgent care centers, and physician practices. |
$25,625 – $37,585 |
Esthetics |
C |
Performing skin care, makeup application, scientific manipulations, and electrical applications; work environments include day spas, salons, medical practices, cruise ships, and destination resorts. |
$24,300 – $36,000 |
Fire Protection Technology |
AAS, C |
Careers in fire protection and safety, with governmental agencies, industrial firms, insurance rating organizations, and municipal fire departments. Program also serves as a basis for continued education toward management positions. |
$30,000 – $40,000 |
Geomatics Technology |
AAS, C |
A position as a survey crew chief, instrument operator, or office technician/CAD operator; involved in construction, GPS, boundary, and topographic surveying and mapping; employment in the surveying, engineering, or construction industry. |
$33,483 – $48,913 |
Health and Fitness Science |
AAS, C |
Positions in health and wellness programs in commercial fitness clubs, business, industry, YMCAs/YWCAs, parks, recreation, and other organizations with exercise and fitness programs. |
$24,130 – $59,830 |
Heavy Equipment Operator |
D, C |
Jobs that require driving, maneuvering, or operating heavy equipment, including backhoes, excavators, and dozers, which are used to construct roads, bridges, and buildings; employment in the construction industry or with government agencies. |
$34,750 – $48,480 |
Hospitality Management |
AAS, D, C |
Careers in the food and lodging industry including front office, reservations, housekeeping, purchasing, dining room, and marketing; entry-level, supervisory, and managerial employment in hotels, motels, resorts, inns, restaurants, and clubs. |
$28,640 – $51,030 |
Human Services Technology |
AAS |
Entry-level positions in institutions and agencies that provide social, community, and educational services, including mental health, child care, rehabilitation, and education. |
$25,140 – $34,750 |
Human Services Technology/Mental Health |
AAS |
Entry level positions including treatment assistant, community liaison, or behavioral disorder counselor; work in mental health settings assisting a treatment team or implementing treatment plans. |
$28,850 – $38,520 |
Human Services Technology/Substance Abuse |
AAS, C |
Employment as substance abuse counselors, DWI counselors, halfway house staff, residential facility employees, and substance abuse education specialists in facilities that provide these services. |
$25,140 – $40,400 |
Information Technology – Cyber Security |
AAS, D |
Employment as security administrator who utilizes networking technologies, intrusion detection, security administration, and industry best practices to protect data communications; eligibility to pursue security certification. |
$43,113 – $100,510 |
Information Technology – Computer Engineering |
AAS |
Occupations in electronics technology, computer service and support, computer networking, server administration, programming, and other areas requiring a knowledge of electronic and computer system repair. |
$44,000 – $112,000 |
Information Technology – Computer Programming and Development |
AAS, C |
Careers in the design and development of desktop and web applications, proficient in Java, MVC, REST, unit testing, server-side JavaScript, and SQL; positions include programmer, software developer, and quality assurance specialist; work settings include healthcare, manufacturing, and software publishing. |
$50,000 – $107,000 |
Information Technology – Data Science and Programming Support Services |
AAS, C |
The design and development of desktop and web applications with an emphasis on business logic and data-driven applications; proficient in Python, SQL, XML, JavaScript; occupations include database specialist, programmer/analyst, and quality assurance specialist in a wide variety of work settings. |
$60,000 – $129,000 |
Information Technology – Healthcare Business Informatics |
AAS |
Positions supporting healthcare organizations that implement, deploy, and support healthcare IT systems in U.S. clinical settings; eligibility to take certification examinations for various healthcare network environments. |
$33,087 – $68,680 |
Information Technology – Mobile Applications Developer |
AAS, C |
Positions involving the design of mobile applications for Android and iOS mobile devices; proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Java, Swift, and UI/UX; work as a programmer, software developer, mobile application developer, programmer/analyst, technical support specialist, software tester. |
$43,000 – $94,000 |
Information Technology – Network Management |
AAS, C |
Positions supporting local- and wide-area networks; employment as local-area network manager, network operator, network analyst, or network technician; eligibility to take certification examinations for various network environments. |
$36,318 – $77,935 |
Information Technology – Software and Web Development |
AAS, C |
A career as a software developer, web developer, programmer/analyst, software architect, technical support specialist, software tester, technical writer, proficient in C#, .NET, MVC, HTML, JavaScript, and SQL; work in healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, finance and software publishing. |
$50,000 – $104,000 |
Information Technology – Storage & Virtualization |
AAS |
Industry-specific certification exams; Careers in computer technology involving datacenter technologies, virtualization methods, and large volume storage centers; work as designers, testers, developers, or support technicians in organizations which rely on computer systems to design and manage information. |
$33,906 – $74,643 |
Information Technology – Technical Support |
AAS, C |
Careers in systems maintenance, troubleshooting, support, training, business applications design and implementation; opportunities for advancement and skill building, often through employer-sponsored training. |
$33,087 – $68,680 |
Information Technology – Web Designer |
AAS, C |
The ability to develop and maintain professional, high-quality websites; proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web analytics; occupations include webmaster, user experience specialist, web designer, analyst, and support specialist; work in a wide variety of industries or as a freelance web designer. |
$50,000 – $70,000 |
Information Technology – Web Developer |
AAS, C |
The development of high-quality websites, including web application components; proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, ASP.NET, PHP, web analytics, content management systems; careers include programmer, web developer, web content developer, webmaster, and web analyst. |
$50,000 – $85,000 |
Interior Design |
AAS |
Careers in commercial and residential interior design, set design, and/or showroom design, with training in professional practices, aesthetic principles, computer-aided design, color theory, and business practices. |
$23,691 – $44,862 |
Lateral Entry Teaching |
C |
Lateral Entry Teaching in NC Public Schools at the middle- or high-school level; program consists of coursework needed to become licensed by the NC Department of Instruction. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and meet additional criteria. |
$37,710 – $41,760 |
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
D |
Employment as an MRI technologist who uses magnetic energy fields to produce images of the human body in health care facilities; eligibility to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) examination for certification and registration. |
$54,184 – $67,600 |
Mechanical Engineering Technology |
AAS, C |
Employment as a mechanical technician, assisting in the design, development, testing, and repair of mechanical equipment for manufacturing, fabrication, research and development; careers involving skills to design, invent, and troubleshoot products. |
$34,155 – $47,036 |
Medical Assisting |
AAS, D |
A career as a health care professional who performs administrative, clinical, and laboratory procedures in physicians’ offices and hospitals; eligibility to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants Certification Examination – CMA (AAMA). |
$27,758 – $34,652 |
Medical Laboratory Technology |
AAS |
Careers performing laboratory procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of disease; work in hospitals, laboratories, and research facilities; eligibility for National Certification exam by the Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology. |
$35,692 – $57,720 |
Medical Office Administration* |
AAS, D, C |
Medical administrative support positions including medical records clerk, insurance specialist, and patient services representative; workplaces include healthcare facilities, insurance billing offices, labs, and manufacturers of medical equipment. |
$25,000 – $36,400 |
Mission Critical Operations |
AAS, C |
Performing repairs and maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment for critical data storage, manufacturing, and information processing; careers involving skills to recognize, diagnose, and troubleshoot threats to critical operations of 24-hour facilities and operations. |
$36,700 – $51,000 |
Nursing, Associate Degree |
AAS |
A career as a registered nurse, upon successful completion of the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX); workplaces include hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, physicians’ offices, industry, and community agencies. |
$56,000 – $79,000 |
Office Administration – Legal Office |
AAS, C |
Careers include Legal Office Manager, Legal Secretary, Legal Administrative Assistant, Legal Records Clerk, and Office Services Manager with employment opportunities in government agencies, the court system, law offices, real estate offices, financial institutions, and large to small offices and businesses. Students are eligible to take industry-recognized certification exams. |
$35,000 – $60,000 |
Office Administration – Office Finance |
AAS |
Careers include Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, Office Services, Office Services Assistant, and Accounts Receivable/Accounts Payable Clerk with employment opportunities in government agencies, real estate offices, financial institutions, and large to small offices and businesses. Students are eligible to take industry-recognized certification exams. |
$32,000 – $50,000 |
Office Administration – Office Professional |
AAS, D, C |
Careers include Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Receptionist, Office Manager, and Office Services with employment opportunities in a variety of office positions in business, government, and industry. Students are eligible to take industry-recognized certification exams. |
$30,000 – $45,000 |
Office Administration – Office Software |
AAS, C |
Careers include Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Office Manager, and Office Services with employment opportunities in government agencies, financial institutions, and large to small offices and businesses. Students are eligible to take industry-recognized certification exams. |
$32,000 – $50,000 |
Pharmacy Technology |
AAS, D |
Employment as pharmacy technicians who assist licensed pharmacists; work in medication compounding, specialty and medication therapy management pharmacies, and hospitals; eligibility to take the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. |
$20,640 – $54,932 |
Phlebotomy |
C |
Careers in the field of phlebotomy, obtaining and transporting blood and other specimens for laboratory analysis; eligibility for national certification as a phlebotomy technician; work in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and other health care settings. |
$26,728 – $34,049 |
Plumbing |
D,C |
Jobs assisting with the installation and repair of plumbing systems in residential and small commercial buildings; employment with maintenance companies, plumbing contractors, and parts suppliers. |
$29,076 – $48,682 |
Radiography |
AAS |
A career as a radiographer, who uses radiation to produce images of the human body; work in hospitals, clinics, or physicians’ offices; eligibility to take the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists’ national exam for certification. |
$40,684 – $60,944 |
Simulation and Game Development |
AAS, D, C |
Careers as designers, artists, animators, programmers, testers, quality assurance analysts, engineers, or administrators in the entertainment industry, health care, education, corporate training, and government agencies. |
$40,100 – $78,000 |
Supply Chain Management/ Distribution Management |
AAS, C |
Logistics positions that include warehousing, distribution, materials management, transportation, and logistics analysis; employers include government agencies, manufacturing, retail, and service organizations |
$31,000 – $50,000 |
Supply Chain Management/ Global Logistics Technology |
AAS, C |
Careers involving the production, movement, and distribution of materials and goods around the globe; employers include government agencies, manufacturing, retail, and service organizations |
$31,000 – $50,000 |
Surgical Technology |
D |
Employment as a skilled member of a surgical team; job opportunities in labor and delivery, emergency, inpatient/outpatient surgery centers, dialysis units, and physicians’ offices. |
$34,049 – $44,824 |
Therapeutic Massage |
D |
Occupations providing client care through therapeutic massage; workplaces include medical practices, athletic settings, spas, and private practices; eligibility to take the MBLEx and apply for a North Carolina license. |
$30,534 – $54,600 |
Welding Technology |
AAS, D, C |
Jobs in the welding and metalworking industry; employment as an entry-level technician in construction, manufacturing, fabrication, sales, and quality control environments. |
$30,447 – $40,255 |
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor www.bls.gov, www.salary.com, www.naceweb.org, and employer surveys. Salaries may vary based on experience, education, and location.