Communications Technologies/Technicians: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 10.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 81 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 36 | 577 | $30,799 | $33,445 | $18,345 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 18 | 162 | $25,629 | $35,292 | $7,750 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 16 | 297 | $27,797 | $36,451 | $21,677 3 programs |
| Master's degree | 7 | 7 | Data unavailable | $71,506 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 4 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 289 graduates measured | $30,622 | Data unavailable | $18,345 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozarks Technical Community College MO · Public · 20 graduates measured | $30,745 | $34,208 | Data unavailable |
| Pellissippi State Community College TN · Public · 66 graduates measured | $25,060 | $40,105 | $7,750 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 35 graduates measured | $23,204 | $26,827 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $34,290 | $39,273 | $25,000 |
| CUNY York College NY · Public · 25 graduates measured | $31,797 | $47,469 | Data unavailable |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 187 graduates measured | $26,614 | $36,898 | $21,677 |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon PR · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $20,290 | $26,213 | $6,250 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Communications Technologies/Technicians
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media and communication workers, all other | $73,620 | +3.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Broadcast technicians | $59,570 | -3.1% | Associate's degree |
| Sound engineering technicians | $73,130 | -3.1% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Film and video editors | $75,420 | +3.7% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 10.0105 Communications Technology/Technician