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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 43 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff

+$32,569 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.

7.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+29%Estimated return after 10 years
$59,496Observed earnings · year 4
$27,478Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark is $16,284 per year below this threshold.

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.

What stays fixed$59,496 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$59,496Typical earnings four years after completion
$56,336Average earnings five years after completion
$13,250Typical federal student debt
71thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
2Degrees awarded in 2024–25
40College 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.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians

How much do Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $59,496 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 $13,250. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $54,148 to $63,412 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

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.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$55,406
Federal debt
$12,965
Programs in the comparison
19
19 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$59,496
Federal debt
$13,250
Programs in the comparison
43
40 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$71,326
Federal debt
$27,000
Programs in the comparison
9
9 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$71,613
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$48,453
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$54,148National median$59,49675th percentile$63,412
40 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$63,41275th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$13,250Median federal debt across programs that report it
2Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
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

SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

$72,530 four years after completionDelhi, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Northcentral Technical College

$8,000 among completer borrowersWausau, WI · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

San Jacinto Community College

54 reported awards in 2024–25Pasadena, TX · 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.

$67,913Observed year-4 earnings$54,350
$5,127Annual college-wide average net price$17,225
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1SUNY College of Technology at Delhi$72,5302CUNY New York City College of Technology$71,7493Ferris State University$67,9134Century College$67,4785Spokane Community College$66,8596Austin Community College District$65,4757Dunwoody College of Technology$64,7198Madison Area Technical College$64,5659Northeast Community College$63,77610Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College$63,498

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

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

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Architectural and Civil Drafters$66,150 median wage103,700 jobs nationwide+5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$46,260–$99,710 typical wage rangeElectrical and Electronics Drafters$76,870 median wage17,920 jobs nationwide-3.4% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$50,040–$120,290 typical wage rangeMechanical Drafters$71,550 median wage39,960 jobs nationwide-6.0% projected growth through 2035 · 2,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$48,360–$106,580 typical wage rangeDrafters, All Other$63,520 median wage14,470 jobs nationwide-7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$43,420–$99,380 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Associate's Degree

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$68,934
Federal debt
$14,236
71 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$73,834
Federal debt
$13,105
66 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$73,951
Federal debt
$13,500
42 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians

Year-4 earnings
$66,606
Federal debt
$16,944
42 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

MN8 programs$60,684 average earnings

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.