ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Columbus State Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Columbus State Community College earn a median salary of $65,653 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $72,867. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.8 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$49,223

Typical Career

$65,653

Top Performers

$90,801

Estimated break-even: 6.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$438

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,471. Most students can comfortably afford about a $438 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 Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.1%
Educational Services 10.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical 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

$72,867

Nominal: $65,653 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% higher 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).

6.8 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 $36,333 $52,165 $71,374
5 Years After Graduation $49,223 $65,653 $90,801
10 Years After Graduation $55,111 $80,415 $105,881

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 $65,653 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $65,653 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $72,867 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 Columbus State Community College can expect a solid earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $56,124, increasing to $63,874 after five years and reaching $68,098 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $70,892.34, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite the cost of living in Ohio being lower than the national average.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 33.2%, 26.2%, and 24.1% of them working in this industry. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. The combination of a steady earnings growth and strong industry demand suggests that students can expect a worthwhile career trajectory in this field.

Compare with Another School

See how the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree at Columbus State Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.