Construction Engineering Technology/Technician: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 15.10. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 259 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 | 71 | 690 | $51,213 | $57,671 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 86 | 774 | $60,261 | $71,367 | $12,000 7 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 72 | 2,893 | $77,872 | $93,843 | $21,338 40 programs |
| Master's degree | 24 | 711 | $86,972 | $96,304 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 3 | 11 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 3 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus State Community College OH · Public · 25 graduates measured | $63,171 | $77,896 | Data unavailable |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $60,325 | $64,708 | Data unavailable |
| NorthWest Arkansas Community College AR · Public · 17 graduates measured | $55,287 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Howard College TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $30,285 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southwest College for the Deaf TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $30,285 | Data unavailable | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology OK · Public · 108 graduates measured | $81,588 | $100,052 | $11,000 |
| University of Akron Main Campus OH · Public · 21 graduates measured | $64,123 | $82,170 | $22,500 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 20 graduates measured | $62,779 | $72,927 | Data unavailable |
| Southeast Technical College SD · Public · 21 graduates measured | $61,939 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
| Ferris State University MI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $58,635 | $83,536 | $13,000 |
| Texas State Technical College TX · Public · 27 graduates measured | $49,745 | $59,247 | $13,308 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Chico CA · Public · 114 graduates measured | $94,934 | Data unavailable | $18,875 |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $90,668 | $89,804 | Data unavailable |
| San Diego State University CA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $89,358 | $100,564 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 73 graduates measured | $86,701 | $103,125 | $15,312 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona CA · Public · 65 graduates measured | $85,694 | $105,812 | $19,000 |
| Washington State University WA · Public · 73 graduates measured | $83,583 | Data unavailable | $19,500 |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 227 graduates measured | $82,475 | $94,921 | $21,131 |
| Montana State University MT · Public · 47 graduates measured | $82,167 | $89,002 | $25,500 |
| Seminole State College of Florida FL · Public · 44 graduates measured | $81,992 | $80,202 | $21,562 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 116 graduates measured | $81,853 | $107,880 | $17,250 |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 92 graduates measured | $81,437 | $109,139 | $13,828 |
| University of Houston TX · Public · 257 graduates measured | $81,201 | $97,201 | $19,500 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 253 graduates measured | $80,359 | $101,540 | $21,250 |
| Texas State University TX · Public · 152 graduates measured | $79,485 | $100,352 | $23,985 |
| University of North Florida FL · Public · 66 graduates measured | $78,529 | $94,692 | $15,000 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina University NC · Public · 28 graduates measured | $102,324 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 56 graduates measured | $94,910 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 56 graduates measured | $94,910 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Florida FL · Public · 19 graduates measured | $91,605 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Florida International University FL · Public · 27 graduates measured | $90,918 | $101,174 | Data unavailable |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $76,129 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Prairie View A & M University TX · Public · 23 graduates measured | $59,546 | Data unavailable | 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 Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction managers | $114,990 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Cost estimators | $78,740 | -3.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Civil engineering technologists and technicians | $64,950 | +3.2% | 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 (1)
- 15.1001 Construction Engineering Technology/Technician