ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Physical Science Technologies/Technicians worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 16 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Strong payoff
+$361,865 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.
2.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+349%Estimated return after 10 years
$91,557Observed earnings · year 4
$187,785Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $180,933 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+$375,570
$7,000Current college-wide context+$361,570
$20,000Annual price+$335,570
$40,000Annual price+$295,570
$60,000Annual price+$255,570
$80,000Annual price+$215,570
$100,000Annual price+$175,570
Outcomes at a glance
$91,557Typical earnings four years after completion
$96,666Average earnings five years after completion
$11,417Typical federal student debt
99thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
16College 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 Physical Science Technologies/Technicians
How much do Physical Science Technologies/Technicians associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $91,557 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 $11,417. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Physical Science Technologies/Technicians?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $71,777 to $99,658 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Physical Science 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
- $69,543
- Federal debt
- $11,756
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $91,557
- Federal debt
- $11,417
- Programs in the comparison
- 16
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $69,253
- 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$71,777National median$91,55775th percentile$99,658
16 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
Lee College
$126,148 four years after completionBaytown, TX · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtDel Mar College
$7,000 among completer borrowersCorpus Christi, TX · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classSan Jacinto Community College
193 reported awards in 2024–25Pasadena, 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.
$111,662Observed year-4 earnings$59,780
Lee College$6,879 price · $126,148 earningsSan Jacinto Community College$12,143 price · $111,662 earningsAshland Community and Technical College$5,717 price · $103,607 earningsCollege of the Mainland$1,342 price · $101,553 earningsVictoria College$3,043 price · $99,658 earningsKilgore College$5,364 price · $99,017 earningsDel Mar College$3,399 price · $98,153 earningsLamar State College-Orange$1,655 price · $92,294 earningsLamar Institute of Technology$13,866 price · $90,820 earningsWharton County Junior College$4,666 price · $88,882 earningsTexas State Technical College$13,508 price · $76,027 earningsHouston City College$5,737 price · $74,124 earningsAlvin Community College$8,525 price · $71,777 earningsBridgeValley Community & Technical College$4,565 price · $69,606 earningsWeber State University$10,258 price · $65,141 earningsSeminole State College of Florida$8,970 price · $59,780 earnings
$1,342Annual college-wide average net price$13,508
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
16 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 16 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Lee College$126,1482San Jacinto Community College$111,6623Ashland Community and Technical College$103,6074College of the Mainland$101,5535Victoria College$99,6586Kilgore College$99,0177Del Mar College$98,1538Lamar State College-Orange$92,2949Lamar Institute of Technology$90,82010Wharton County Junior College$88,882Observed 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 →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120 median wage16,610 jobs nationwide-5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$48,400–$111,930 typical wage rangeLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 median wage73,910 jobs nationwide+4.4% projected growth through 2035 · 11,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,000–$102,690 typical wage rangeChemical Technicians$60,390 median wage57,540 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 7,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$41,740–$92,040 typical wage rangeChemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$58,040 median wage139,630 jobs nationwide+3.6% projected growth through 2035 · 13,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,440–$92,250 typical wage rangeGeological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians$53,350 median wage6,980 jobs nationwide+3.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$35,770–$99,560 typical wage rangeHydrologic Technicians$64,790 median wage2,840 jobs nationwide-1.3% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$44,950–$100,480 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 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.