ROI Major

Engineering Technologies, Other at East Carolina University

NC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Engineering Technologies, Other degree from East Carolina University earn a median salary of $80,351 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $82,158. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.8 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$62,782

Typical Career

$80,351

Top Performers

$100,115

Estimated break-even: 4.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$536

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,696. Most students can comfortably afford about a $536 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in North Carolina buys what costs $0.98 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.7%
Educational Services 19.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.3%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$82,158

Nominal: $80,351 in North Carolina (COL 97.8% of national avg) · 2.2% 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).

4.8 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 $47,918 $62,113 $73,715
5 Years After Graduation $62,782 $80,351 $100,115
10 Years After Graduation $76,036 $101,183 $130,868

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 $80,351 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NC, which has a cost-of-living index of 97.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $80,351 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9780) = $82,158 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Engineering Technologies, Other program at East Carolina University experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $62,113, which increases to $80,351 five years post-graduation and reaches $101,183 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $82,158.49, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite regional cost-of-living differences, as North Carolina's cost-of-living index is slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (20.7%), Educational Services (19.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.3%). This diverse range of sectors suggests a solid demand for graduates in various fields. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 4.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, making it a viable option for students considering their future career paths.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Engineering Technologies, Other degree at East Carolina University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

Explore More