ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 24 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$262,151 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.
3.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+231%Estimated return after 10 years
$82,564Observed earnings · year 4
$142,820Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $131,076 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+$285,640
$12,000Current college-wide context+$261,640
$20,000Annual price+$245,640
$40,000Annual price+$205,640
$60,000Annual price+$165,640
$80,000Annual price+$125,640
$100,000Annual price+$85,640
Outcomes at a glance
$82,564Typical earnings four years after completion
$57,534Average earnings five years after completion
$12,917Typical federal student debt
97thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
23College 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 Technologies/Technicians, General
How much do Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $82,564 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 $12,917. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $62,520 to $82,564 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $63,347
- Federal debt
- $7,906
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $82,564
- Federal debt
- $12,917
- Programs in the comparison
- 24
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,055
- Federal debt
- $26,325
- Programs in the comparison
- 37
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $116,993
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
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$62,520National median$82,56475th percentile$82,564
23 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
Pennsylvania Western University
$156,707 four years after completionCalifornia, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtPellissippi State Community College
$7,058 among completer borrowersKnoxville, TN · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classChattanooga State Community College
63 reported awards in 2024–25Chattanooga, TN · 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.
$82,564Observed year-4 earnings$53,578
Pennsylvania Western University$18,256 price · $156,707 earningsConnecticut State Community College$11,513 price · $82,564 earningsJackson State Community College$6,236 price · $76,859 earningsDeVry University-Illinois$30,770 price · $70,766 earningsTri-County Technical College$14,670 price · $64,535 earningsChattanooga State Community College$5,283 price · $63,171 earningsNorthwestern Michigan College$6,231 price · $62,520 earningsPellissippi State Community College$4,983 price · $59,701 earningsGeorge C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville$13,170 price · $57,028 earningsAthens Technical College$6,949 price · $56,960 earningsOklahoma State University Institute of Technology$10,999 price · $54,527 earningsMorrison Institute of Technology$20,639 price · $53,578 earnings
$4,983Annual college-wide average net price$20,639
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
13 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 13 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Pennsylvania Western University$156,7072Connecticut State Community College$82,5643Jackson State Community College$76,8594DeVry University-Illinois$70,7665Tri-County Technical College$64,5356Chattanooga State Community College$63,1717Northwestern Michigan College$62,5208Pellissippi State Community College$59,7019George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville$57,02810Athens Technical College$56,960Observed 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 →14%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900 median wage15,520 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,840–$109,890 typical wage rangeAerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 median wage11,280 jobs nationwide+11.9% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$59,050–$125,160 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 rangeElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$78,190 median wage95,130 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 8,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$49,510–$115,700 typical wage rangeIndustrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$66,120 median wage75,570 jobs nationwide+3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 6,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,300–$99,150 typical wage rangeCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$64,950 median wage68,520 jobs nationwide+3.2% projected growth through 2035 · 6,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$44,220–$98,980 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.