UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Air Transportation worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 4 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$41,061 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$41,061Median year-4 earnings
$29,472Average institution net-price context
$6,333Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$41,061Typical earnings four years after completion
$26,538Average earnings five years after completion
$6,333Typical federal student debt
30thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
35Degrees awarded in 2024–25
3College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Air Transportation
How much do Air Transportation undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $41,061 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $6,333. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Air Transportation?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $33,509 to $41,061 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Air Transportation?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 8 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,061
- Federal debt
- $6,333
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,637
- Federal debt
- $14,803
- Programs in the comparison
- 18
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,283
- Federal debt
- $24,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 59
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $113,161
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 7
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$33,509National median$41,06175th percentile$41,061
3 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
2 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 2 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Guilford Technical Community College$41,0612Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and TechnologyNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers$232,140 median wage103,560 jobs nationwide+8.3% projected growth through 2035 · 11,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$106,710–$463,830 typical wage rangeCommercial Pilots$123,220 median wage47,630 jobs nationwide+5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 5,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$58,850–$266,620 typical wage rangeTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$107,230 median wage221,180 jobs nationwide+6.1% projected growth through 2035 · 18,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$65,120–$194,900 typical wage rangeAir Traffic Controllers$148,080 median wage22,510 jobs nationwide+1.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$78,420–$215,610 typical wage rangeFlight Attendants$63,580 median wage131,650 jobs nationwide+8.8% projected growth through 2035 · 18,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,110–$136,430 typical wage rangeAirfield Operations Specialists$56,850 median wage15,190 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 1,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,870–$102,120 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Passenger AttendantsUnreported jobs nationwideNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.