Polymer/Plastics Engineering: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 14.32. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 37 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 | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 11 | 109 | $75,145 | $92,919 | $27,000 5 programs |
| Master's degree | 10 | 79 | $95,084 | $114,668 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 8 | 68 | $117,266 | $130,514 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 7 | 8 | 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.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 52 graduates measured | $80,343 | $100,428 | $27,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College PA · Public · 67 graduates measured | $74,572 | $87,636 | $27,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 67 graduates measured | $74,572 | $87,636 | $27,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny PA · Public · 67 graduates measured | $74,572 | $87,636 | $27,000 |
| Western Washington University WA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $71,306 | $92,439 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 26 graduates measured | $71,056 | $88,433 | $27,000 |
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.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell MA · Public · 56 graduates measured | $94,034 | $107,285 | 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.
Careers linked to Polymer/Plastics Engineering
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and engineering managers | $171,270 | +5.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Chemical engineers | $125,040 | +4.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Materials engineers | $112,860 | +7.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Engineering teachers, postsecondary | $109,270 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional 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)
- 14.3201 Polymer/Plastics Engineering