ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 4 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$185,442 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.
3.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+154%Estimated return after 10 years
$75,615Observed earnings · year 4
$108,073Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $92,721 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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$216,145
$15,000Current college-wide context+$186,145
$20,000Annual price+$176,145
$40,000Annual price+$136,145
$60,000Annual price+$96,145
$80,000Annual price+$56,145
$100,000Annual price+$16,145
Outcomes at a glance
$75,615Typical earnings four years after completion
$64,342Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
93thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
4College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
How much do Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $75,615 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $64,038 to $83,148 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 7 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$64,038National median$75,61575th percentile$83,148
4 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.
4 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 4 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Ferris State University$85,1482Hennepin Technical College$83,1483Southeast Technical College$68,0814Pennsylvania College of Technology$64,038Observed 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 ↑
-9%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.
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists$81,390 median wage14,260 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,740–$126,950 typical wage rangeEngineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$78,350 median wage59,930 jobs nationwide+2.8% projected growth through 2035 · 5,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,030–$118,330 typical wage rangeSurveyors$75,440 median wage50,830 jobs nationwide+5.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$46,880–$125,590 typical wage rangeMechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 median wage36,190 jobs nationwide+1.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$48,400–$106,050 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 rangeSurveying and Mapping Technicians$54,240 median wage58,010 jobs nationwide+5.8% projected growth through 2035 · 6,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,520–$81,630 typical wage rangeNO 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.