“We are laying a foundation of skills that can be used in all of the technological fields. You’re going to have to put your skills sets together to create your own career path. No matter the product, the technology is similar if the process involves manufacturing, automation, robotics or installing or repairing mechanical systems.”
— Dr. Brent Donham, associate vice president, Engineering and Technology/Educational Transitions; Nanotechnology program coordinator and faculty
The Nanotechnology Industry
The industry and its applications are expanding so rapidly that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Career Voyages has named nanotechnology one of the nation’s three top emerging industries and in-demand occupations along with geospatial technology (which includes Geographic Information Systems) and Biotechnology — both of which are also programs offered at DCCCD colleges.
Like geospatial technology and biotechnology, nanotechnology encompasses a broad range of emerging technologies with even broader multidisciplinary applications in medicine, manufacturing and industry, environmental regulation and national defense. There is no one job described as a “nanotechnician,” but instead a number of jobs from technician to managerial levels that incorporate the applications of nanotechnology into their research, development, manufacturing and production processes.
According to the Nanotechnology Foundation of Texas, the state is “at the center of the impending nanotechnology revolution.” Texas has 30 commercial businesses developing products and services from nanotechnology research, two of which moved to the state in 2001 to be nearer to sources of this science.
Specific Careers in Nanotechnology
Careers in the many related fields of nanotechnology are as diverse as the technology itself and depend significantly on the individual’s level of education and professional experience.
America’s Career InfoNet and the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (2008-2009 edition) give detailed information about the skills, abilities, work activities and recommended education for jobs in fields using nanotechnology, which may include:
In-Demand Career Choices: Salaries and Projected Job Growth
America’s Career InfoNet listed 2006 salaries and projected job growth for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Career Voyages in-demand occupations as:
| Job |
Hourly Rate |
Annual Salary |
Projected Growth Through 2014 |
| Agricultural and food science technicians |
$15.26 |
$31,700 |
+13% |
| Biological technicians |
$17.17 |
$35,700 |
+17% |
| Chemical technicians |
$18.87 |
$39,200 |
+4% |
| Computer support specialists |
$19.94 |
$41,500 |
+13% |
| Environmental science and protection technicians |
$18.31 |
$38,100 |
+16% |
| First-line supervisors and managers of production and operating workers |
$22.74 |
$47,300 |
-5% |
| Machinists |
$16.71 |
$34,800 |
-3% |
| Mechanical engineers |
$33.58 |
$69,800 |
+4% |
| Medical and clinical lab technicians |
$15.79 |
$32,800 |
+25% |
| Team assemblers |
$11.63 |
$24,200 |
0% |
Nanotechnology Named by U.S. Department of Labor as One of Top Emerging Technologies
“Over the decade ending 2014 ... the U.S. will need [more than] 3 million health care providers and technical specialists, including physicians, therapists and [more than] 1.2 million registered nurses. There will also be [more than] 3.5 million job openings in the education, training and library occupations fields. Other high growth fields include geospatial technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing. So, more than ever before, education, training and retraining are the keys to future earnings.”
— Speech by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao at the Society for Human Resources Management in Washington, D.C., March 13, 2007