ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Chemeketa Community College

OR · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Chemeketa Community College earn a median salary of $64,628 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,542. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.3 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

$45,075

Typical Career

$64,628

Top Performers

$75,525

Estimated break-even: 7.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$431

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,386. Most students can comfortably afford about a $431 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 25.6%
Public Administration 15.6%
Educational Services 9.3%

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

$56,542

Nominal: $64,628 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% 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).

7.3 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 $36,444 $46,298 $61,926
5 Years After Graduation $45,075 $64,628 $75,525
10 Years After Graduation $57,372 $79,787 $97,592

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 $64,628 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $64,628 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $56,542 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 Chemeketa Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $46,298, which increases to $64,628 five years post-graduation and reaches $79,787 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $56,542.43 nationally, indicating that while the cost of living in Oregon is higher (COL index of 1.143), the program still offers a competitive salary progression over time.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 50.8%, 25.6%, and 22.7% of placements. This concentration suggests a strong demand for electrical and electronic engineering skills in these sectors. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 7.3 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly given the increasing earning potential over time.

Compare with Another School

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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.