Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 15.12. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 365 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 | 136 | 1,193 | $35,933 | $38,000 | $10,813 8 programs |
| Associate's degree | 147 | 1,207 | $45,794 | $55,195 | $17,651 9 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 70 | 775 | $67,260 | $83,742 | $28,591 25 programs |
| Master's degree | 5 | 94 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 2 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 5 | 4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranken Technical College MO · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $51,291 | $57,498 | Data unavailable |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology CA · Private, for-profit · 86 graduates measured | $47,628 | Data unavailable | $14,092 |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology-National City · Private, for-profit · 86 graduates measured | $47,628 | Data unavailable | $14,092 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 34 graduates measured | $42,042 | Data unavailable | $18,351 |
| Okaloosa Technical College FL · Public · 23 graduates measured | $31,702 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Florida Career College-Miami · Private, for-profit · 249 graduates measured | $28,321 | $33,070 | $10,813 |
| Florida Career College-West Palm Beach · Private, for-profit · 249 graduates measured | $28,321 | $33,070 | $10,813 |
| Florida Career College-Hialeah · Private, for-profit · 249 graduates measured | $28,321 | $33,070 | $10,813 |
| Florida Career College-Lauderdale Lakes · Private, for-profit · 249 graduates measured | $28,321 | $33,070 | $10,813 |
| Florida Career College-Boynton Beach · Private, for-profit · 249 graduates measured | $28,321 | $33,070 | $10,813 |
| Marion Technical College FL · Public · 43 graduates measured | $24,637 | $41,383 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $69,054 | $99,753 | Data unavailable |
| Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $60,774 | $50,206 | Data unavailable |
| ECPI University VA · Private, for-profit · 78 graduates measured | $59,199 | $62,762 | $23,376 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 35 graduates measured | $57,688 | Data unavailable | $20,000 |
| Anoka Technical College MN · Public · 31 graduates measured | $55,525 | $63,639 | Data unavailable |
| Montgomery County Community College PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $51,335 | Data unavailable | $16,500 |
| Cincinnati State Technical and Community College OH · Public · 33 graduates measured | $48,698 | Data unavailable | $17,500 |
| Cuyahoga Community College District OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $47,902 | $56,387 | Data unavailable |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology CA · Private, for-profit · 50 graduates measured | $46,798 | $66,048 | $26,250 |
| California Institute of Arts & Technology-National City · Private, for-profit · 50 graduates measured | $46,798 | $66,048 | $26,250 |
| Ranken Technical College MO · Private, nonprofit · 129 graduates measured | $45,816 | $59,319 | $12,025 |
| Pittsburgh Technical College · Private, nonprofit · 115 graduates measured | $43,795 | $58,276 | $17,651 |
| Stark State College OH · Public · 27 graduates measured | $43,664 | $44,203 | $8,243 |
| Connecticut State Community College CT · Public · 16 graduates measured | $40,806 | $54,003 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $90,346 | $125,531 | $22,125 |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho ID · Private, nonprofit · 175 graduates measured | $80,469 | $113,755 | $20,631 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology NY · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $80,467 | $95,491 | $29,625 |
| University of Houston-Downtown TX · Public · 25 graduates measured | $79,102 | $112,244 | Data unavailable |
| Oregon Institute of Technology OR · Public · 68 graduates measured | $77,100 | $112,169 | $27,000 |
| Wayne State University MI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $71,221 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| ECPI University VA · Private, for-profit · 56 graduates measured | $69,600 | $76,900 | $28,083 |
| DeVry College of New York NY · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-Arizona AZ · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-California CA · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-Florida FL · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-Georgia GA · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-Illinois IL · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-Ohio OH · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
| DeVry University-Texas TX · Private, for-profit · 42 graduates measured | $65,931 | $79,501 | $49,417 |
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 Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer programmers | $100,390 | -7.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software developers | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Software quality assurance analysts and testers | $104,300 | +5.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | $78,190 | +2.4% | 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 (5)
- 15.1201 Computer Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.1202 Computer/Computer Systems Technology/Technician
- 15.1203 Computer Hardware Technology/Technician
- 15.1204 Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 15.1299 Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other