Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 47.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 588 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 | 368 | 7,395 | $56,388 | $62,199 | $9,500 26 programs |
| Associate's degree | 219 | 1,521 | $63,265 | $69,017 | $12,000 13 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1 | 9 | Data unavailable | $83,301 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgerland Technical College UT · Public · 17 graduates measured | $82,154 | $66,856 | Data unavailable |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College KY · Public · 34 graduates measured | $81,025 | $75,744 | $8,919 |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $78,688 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College KY · Public · 156 graduates measured | $78,125 | $90,983 | $14,863 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro TN · Public · 32 graduates measured | $77,216 | $74,734 | Data unavailable |
| Lakeshore Technical College WI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $71,794 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College KY · Public · 75 graduates measured | $71,760 | $77,533 | $10,863 |
| Northwood Technical College WI · Public · 23 graduates measured | $70,896 | $76,005 | Data unavailable |
| Gateway Community and Technical College KY · Public · 18 graduates measured | $66,076 | $68,296 | $7,750 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia CA · Private, for-profit · 166 graduates measured | $65,644 | $72,975 | $9,500 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield CA · Private, for-profit · 166 graduates measured | $65,644 | $72,975 | $9,500 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center CA · Private, for-profit · 166 graduates measured | $65,644 | $72,975 | $9,500 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario CA · Private, for-profit · 166 graduates measured | $65,644 | $72,975 | $9,500 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Modesto CA · Private, for-profit · 166 graduates measured | $65,644 | $72,975 | $9,500 |
| Riverland Community College MN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $65,622 | $84,389 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegrass Community and Technical College KY · Public · 151 graduates measured | $80,389 | $88,996 | $12,502 |
| Northwest Shoals Community College AL · Public · 19 graduates measured | $78,775 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology OK · Public · 24 graduates measured | $74,962 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Georgia Northwestern Technical College GA · Public · 41 graduates measured | $71,360 | $79,973 | Data unavailable |
| Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College KY · Public · 72 graduates measured | $71,220 | $77,631 | $11,113 |
| Elizabethtown Community and Technical College KY · Public · 85 graduates measured | $69,358 | $75,769 | $7,225 |
| York Technical College SC · Public · 21 graduates measured | $69,127 | $73,523 | Data unavailable |
| Gateway Community and Technical College KY · Public · 18 graduates measured | $68,987 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Itawamba Community College MS · Public · 17 graduates measured | $68,459 | $78,139 | Data unavailable |
| South Georgia Technical College GA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $66,090 | $81,962 | Data unavailable |
| Jefferson Community and Technical College KY · Public · 20 graduates measured | $65,270 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $64,410 | $77,955 | $12,000 |
| Maysville Community and Technical College KY · Public · 32 graduates measured | $63,955 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Northeast Alabama Community College AL · Public · 17 graduates measured | $60,437 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Career College of Northern Nevada · Private, for-profit · 17 graduates measured | $58,917 | 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 Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and escalator installers and repairers | $109,910 | +5.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | $65,510 | +6.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Rail car repairers | $67,530 | +2.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door | $74,340 | +4.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | $64,520 | +17.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Maintenance workers, machinery | $60,850 | -1.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Millwrights | $65,700 | +0.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons | $61,290 | -13.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Wind turbine service technicians | $64,120 | +29.5% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
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 (3)
- 47.0302 Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology/Technician
- 47.0303 Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/Technician
- 47.0399 Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians, Other