Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 15.00. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 409 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 | 108 | 1,054 | $50,439 | $57,354 | $16,893 2 programs |
| Associate's degree | 187 | 1,256 | $54,761 | $62,343 | $11,966 10 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 82 | 1,337 | $66,818 | $80,526 | $25,000 35 programs |
| Master's degree | 25 | 221 | $92,085 | $111,169 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 2 | 5 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 5 | 10 | 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pellissippi State Community College TN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $92,160 | Data unavailable | $7,125 |
| Jefferson State Community College AL · Public · 16 graduates measured | $50,607 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Saint Johns River State College FL · Public · 23 graduates measured | $47,735 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Omnitech Institute · Private, for-profit · 28 graduates measured | $30,629 | $36,042 | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Western University PA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $100,588 | $156,707 | Data unavailable |
| DeVry University-Illinois IL · Private, for-profit · 59 graduates measured | $64,795 | $70,766 | $31,542 |
| Connecticut State Community College CT · Public · 25 graduates measured | $61,626 | $82,564 | $11,931 |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 16 graduates measured | $58,932 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology OK · Public · 36 graduates measured | $56,524 | $54,527 | $11,561 |
| Chattanooga State Community College TN · Public · 60 graduates measured | $55,568 | $63,171 | $11,000 |
| Jefferson State Community College AL · Public · 25 graduates measured | $49,945 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Morrison Institute of Technology IL · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $48,243 | $53,578 | $12,000 |
| Kalamazoo Valley Community College MI · Public · 32 graduates measured | $46,042 | Data unavailable | $16,750 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji State University MN · Public · 25 graduates measured | $92,989 | $90,868 | $32,500 |
| DeVry University-Illinois IL · Private, for-profit · 146 graduates measured | $78,138 | $83,554 | $48,800 |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $77,839 | $97,379 | $31,000 |
| Kennesaw State University GA · Public · 81 graduates measured | $76,663 | $89,729 | $42,333 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout WI · Public · 48 graduates measured | $74,536 | $76,784 | $26,310 |
| Miami University-Hamilton OH · Public · 78 graduates measured | $73,362 | $89,862 | $30,221 |
| Miami University-Middletown OH · Public · 78 graduates measured | $73,362 | $89,862 | $30,221 |
| Miami University-Oxford OH · Public · 78 graduates measured | $73,362 | $89,862 | $30,221 |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology NJ · Public · 292 graduates measured | $70,639 | $86,360 | $21,116 |
| Illinois State University IL · Public · 35 graduates measured | $68,782 | $80,530 | $22,081 |
| Austin Peay State University TN · Public · 61 graduates measured | $68,628 | $79,309 | $25,250 |
| Northern Illinois University IL · Public · 87 graduates measured | $67,295 | $81,554 | $21,000 |
| Fort Hays State University KS · Public · 23 graduates measured | $67,099 | Data unavailable | $25,427 |
| Wichita State University KS · Public · 26 graduates measured | $67,014 | $77,103 | $28,500 |
| University of Central Missouri MO · Public · 28 graduates measured | $66,862 | $75,375 | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus OK · Public · 29 graduates measured | $110,268 | $116,993 | 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 Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians | $82,890 | +11.9% | Associate's degree |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | $64,950 | +3.2% | Associate's degree |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | $78,190 | +2.4% | Associate's degree |
| Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians | $73,900 | +2.6% | Associate's degree |
| Industrial engineering technologists and technicians | $66,120 | +3.1% | Associate's degree |
| Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other | $78,350 | +2.8% | Associate's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (2)
- 15.0000 Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
- 15.0001 Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians