ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Mechanical Engineering worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 6 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$156,235 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.
4.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+149%Estimated return after 10 years
$71,115Observed earnings · year 4
$85,575Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $78,118 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+$171,150
$7,000Current college-wide context+$157,150
$20,000Annual price+$131,150
$40,000Annual price+$91,150
$60,000Annual price+$51,150
$80,000Annual price+$11,150
$100,000Annual price−$28,850
Outcomes at a glance
$71,115Typical earnings four years after completion
$64,037Average earnings five years after completion
$15,848Typical federal student debt
87thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
5College 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 Mechanical Engineering
How much do Mechanical Engineering associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $71,115 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 $15,848. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Mechanical Engineering?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $61,244 to $73,388 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Mechanical Engineering?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 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.
CURRENT VIEW
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $71,115
- Federal debt
- $15,848
- Programs in the comparison
- 6
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $91,131
- Federal debt
- $24,844
- Programs in the comparison
- 326
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $115,231
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 84
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $147,335
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $140,788
- 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$61,244National median$71,11575th percentile$73,388
5 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.
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.
$73,388Observed year-4 earnings$60,461
Tacoma Community College$8,376 price · $74,727 earningsSalt Lake Community College$9,804 price · $73,388 earningsCUNY LaGuardia Community College$6,120 price · $71,115 earningsStark State College$5,986 price · $61,244 earningsEl Paso Community College$3,206 price · $60,461 earnings
$3,206Annual college-wide average net price$8,376
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
6 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 6 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Tacoma Community College$74,7272Salt Lake Community College$73,3883CUNY LaGuardia Community College$71,1154Stark State College$61,2445El Paso Community College$60,4616Lone Star College SystemNot availableObserved 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 →13%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 median wage220,260 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 14,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$120,810–$262,760 typical wage rangeAerospace Engineers$134,960 median wage67,710 jobs nationwide+8.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$86,700–$205,890 typical wage rangeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$109,270 median wage40,270 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$61,550–$210,370 typical wage rangeMechanical Engineers$104,110 median wage296,810 jobs nationwide+11.2% projected growth through 2035 · 17,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$73,990–$164,340 typical wage rangeCost Estimators$78,740 median wage224,220 jobs nationwide-3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 17,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,530–$130,820 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.