ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Carpenters worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 8 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$107,534 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
144.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−93%Estimated return after 10 years
$45,798Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$82,025
$8,000Annual price−$98,025
$13,000Current college-wide context−$108,025
$16,000Annual price−$114,025
$24,000Annual price−$130,025
$32,000Annual price−$146,025
$40,000Annual price−$162,025
Outcomes at a glance
$45,798Typical earnings four years after completion
$53,539Average earnings five years after completion
$12,610Typical federal student debt
44thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
9Degrees awarded in 2024–25
8College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Carpenters
How much do Carpenters associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $45,798 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $12,610. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Carpenters?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $41,072 to $48,574 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Carpenters?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 2 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.
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$41,072National median$45,79875th percentile$48,574
8 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.
Highest observed earnings
Ivy Tech Community College
$69,442 four years after completionIndianapolis, IN · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtThaddeus Stevens College of Technology
$7,266 among completer borrowersLancaster, PA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classSUNY College of Technology at Delhi
18 reported awards in 2024–25Delhi, NY · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$61,533Observed year-4 earnings$45,162
Ivy Tech Community College$7,258 price · $69,442 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $61,533 earningsRanken Technical College$18,795 price · $48,574 earningsThaddeus Stevens College of Technology$14,104 price · $46,433 earningsSUNY College of Technology at Delhi$17,225 price · $45,162 earnings
$6,390Annual college-wide average net price$17,225
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
5 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 5 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Ivy Tech Community College$69,4422Austin Community College District$61,5333Ranken Technical College$48,5744Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology$46,4335SUNY College of Technology at Delhi$45,162Observed 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.
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920 median wage812,210 jobs nationwide+5.0% projected growth through 2035 · 67,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$53,280–$128,260 typical wage rangeCarpenters$60,580 median wage670,090 jobs nationwide+3.9% projected growth through 2035 · 62,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$40,410–$99,910 typical wage range
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.