ROI Major

Construction Engineering Technology at Cuyahoga Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Construction Engineering Technology degree from Cuyahoga Community College earn a median salary of $58,363 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $64,776. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.8 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

$44,060

Typical Career

$58,363

Top Performers

$73,014

Estimated break-even: 7.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$389

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,864. Most students can comfortably afford about a $389 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 44.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 6.3%
Educational Services 6.2%

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

$64,776

Nominal: $58,363 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).

7.8 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 $36,903 $51,223 $72,585
5 Years After Graduation $44,060 $58,363 $73,014
10 Years After Graduation $61,926 $77,901 $117,867

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 $58,363 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)
= $58,363 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $64,776 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Construction Engineering Technology program at Cuyahoga Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings are reported at $51,223, which increases to $58,363 after five years and reaches $77,901 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $64,775.80 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to other regions despite Ohio's lower cost of living index.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with a significant percentage entering this sector at various stages of their careers. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 7.8 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this program appears favorable. This suggests that the Construction Engineering Technology degree not only offers a solid foundation for career advancement but also provides a viable financial benefit over time.

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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.