BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 63 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$115,864 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
6.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+46%Estimated return after 10 years
$81,765Observed earnings · year 4
$46,913Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $28,966 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+$187,650
$14,000Annual price+$131,650
$18,000Current college-wide context+$115,650
$28,000Annual price+$75,650
$42,000Annual price+$19,650
$56,000Annual price−$36,350
$70,000Annual price−$92,350
Outcomes at a glance
$81,765Typical earnings four years after completion
$79,999Average earnings five years after completion
$27,000Typical federal student debt
77thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
1Degrees awarded in 2024–25
61College 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.
Four useful answers about Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
How much do Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $81,765 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $27,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $79,299 to $86,472 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Mechanical 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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,798
- Federal debt
- $11,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 12
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $66,606
- Federal debt
- $16,944
- Programs in the comparison
- 42
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $81,765
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 63
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $114,566
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
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$79,299National median$81,76575th percentile$86,472
61 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
Cal Poly Maritime Academy
$126,209 four years after completionVallejo, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtBrigham Young University-Idaho
$16,214 among completer borrowersRexburg, ID · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classPurdue University-Main Campus
265 reported awards in 2024–25West Lafayette, IN · 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.
$98,267Observed year-4 earnings$82,821
Cal Poly Maritime Academy$20,555 price · $126,209 earningsUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$17,163 price · $120,219 earningsMetropolitan State University of Denver$15,327 price · $98,267 earningsWayne State University$12,766 price · $97,257 earningsFarmingdale State College$10,867 price · $91,941 earningsUniversity of Maine$17,510 price · $91,879 earningsCalifornia State Polytechnic University-Pomona$11,531 price · $91,230 earningsCentral Connecticut State University$16,857 price · $90,472 earningsSpartan College of Aeronautics and Technology$29,776 price · $90,263 earningsArt Center College of Design$48,661 price · $90,188 earningsAmerican Public University System$9,597 price · $89,871 earningsWestern New England University$27,290 price · $89,642 earningsNew England Institute of Technology$36,483 price · $88,991 earningsOregon Institute of Technology$15,706 price · $88,036 earningsPurdue University-Main Campus$14,600 price · $86,891 earningsCentral Michigan University$17,597 price · $86,472 earningsYoungstown State University$12,767 price · $86,361 earningsRochester Institute of Technology$34,906 price · $86,226 earningsIndiana University-Indianapolis$11,668 price · $85,533 earningsPurdue University Northwest$6,079 price · $85,242 earningsVaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology$39,986 price · $85,222 earningsBrigham Young University-Idaho$8,221 price · $84,896 earningsCentral Washington University$18,476 price · $84,871 earningsUniversity of Houston$14,276 price · $84,692 earningsUniversity of Toledo$17,249 price · $83,465 earningsMichigan Technological University$14,182 price · $83,394 earningsLeTourneau University$28,185 price · $83,158 earningsKennesaw State University$15,048 price · $83,083 earningsFerris State University$8,624 price · $82,821 earningsNorthern Michigan University$14,085 price · $82,326 earnings
$8,221Annual college-wide average net price$36,483
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 →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Cal Poly Maritime Academy$126,2092University of Massachusetts-Lowell$120,2193Metropolitan State University of Denver$98,2674Wayne State University$97,2575Farmingdale State College$91,9416University of Maine$91,8797California State Polytechnic University-Pomona$91,2308Central Connecticut State University$90,4729Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology$90,26310Art Center College of Design$90,188Observed 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 →14%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Mechanical 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 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 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 rangeAutomotive Service Technicians and Mechanics$50,620 median wage704,640 jobs nationwide+5.0% projected growth through 2035 · 66,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$34,660–$81,790 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 rangeElectro-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 rangeMotorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians$57,550 median wage23,220 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 2,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$36,950–$79,330 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.
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.