ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 13 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$163 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.
10.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+0%Estimated return after 10 years
$57,129Observed earnings · year 4
$15,645Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $81 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+$31,290
$8,000Annual price+$15,290
$16,000Current college-wide context−$710
$24,000Annual price−$16,710
$32,000Annual price−$32,710
$40,000Annual price−$48,710
Outcomes at a glance
$57,129Typical earnings four years after completion
$56,430Average earnings five years after completion
$17,571Typical federal student debt
69thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
21Degrees awarded in 2024–25
12College 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 Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
How much do Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $57,129 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 $17,571. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $48,102 to $63,908 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians?
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
- $45,679
- Federal debt
- $11,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 72
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,129
- Federal debt
- $17,571
- Programs in the comparison
- 13
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $69,956
- Federal debt
- $23,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $107,285
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,327
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
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$48,102National median$57,12975th percentile$63,908
12 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
Austin Community College District
$67,712 four years after completionAustin, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtFerris State University
$11,000 among completer borrowersBig Rapids, MI · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classWestern Technical College
70 reported awards in 2024–25El Paso, 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.
$66,719Observed year-4 earnings$48,102
Austin Community College District$6,390 price · $67,712 earningsFerris State University$8,624 price · $66,719 earningsSt Cloud Technical and Community College$9,635 price · $66,234 earningsRanken Technical College$18,795 price · $63,908 earningsNew England Institute of Technology$36,483 price · $62,399 earningsNortheast Wisconsin Technical College$9,918 price · $58,127 earningsPennsylvania College of Technology$25,110 price · $56,131 earningsTexas State Technical College$13,508 price · $55,209 earningsColumbus State Community College$8,400 price · $50,188 earningsCollege of Business and Technology$17,842 price · $48,102 earningsCollege of Business and Technology$11,208 price · $48,102 earnings
$6,390Annual college-wide average net price$25,110
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.
1Austin Community College District$67,7122Ferris State University$66,7193St Cloud Technical and Community College$66,2344Ranken Technical College$63,9085New England Institute of Technology$62,3996Northeast Wisconsin Technical College$58,1277Pennsylvania College of Technology$56,1318Texas State Technical College$55,2099Columbus State Community College$50,18810College of Business and Technology$48,102Observed 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 ↑
-8%Projected employment growth →13%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians$59,920 median wage12,190 jobs nationwide+3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,910–$96,660 typical wage rangeEnvironmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health$55,090 median wage34,670 jobs nationwide+6.9% projected growth through 2035 · 5,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$38,170–$94,160 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 rangeHeating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers$61,010 median wage409,670 jobs nationwide+10.9% projected growth through 2035 · 40,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$40,050–$95,210 typical wage rangeWater and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,020 median wage128,490 jobs nationwide-5.7% projected growth through 2035 · 10,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$39,110–$91,060 typical wage rangeHazardous Materials Removal Workers$49,450 median wage51,710 jobs nationwide+1.5% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$38,460–$82,410 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.