ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Central Virginia Community College

VA · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Central Virginia Community College earn a median salary of $57,867 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,456. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.3 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$38,050

Typical Career

$57,867

Top Performers

$85,664

Estimated break-even: 8.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$386

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,822. Most students can comfortably afford about a $386 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.4%
Manufacturing 13.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$56,456

Nominal: $57,867 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

8.3 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $29,704 $49,035 $62,393
5 Years After Graduation $38,050 $57,867 $85,664
10 Years After Graduation $50,311 $71,115 $90,582

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $57,867 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $57,867 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $56,456 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies program at Central Virginia Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $49,035, increasing to $57,867 after five years and reaching $71,115 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $56,455.61 nationally, indicating a competitive position relative to similar programs across the country, despite Virginia's slightly higher cost of living index.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 30.4% of placements, followed by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 23.4%, and Manufacturing at 23.3%. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.3 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment appears favorable. The combination of strong industry demand and a solid earnings trajectory suggests that pursuing this degree can lead to a rewarding career in a growing field.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.