Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies at Eastern Gateway Community College
OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.13
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies degree from Eastern Gateway Community College earn a median salary of $45,751 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,778. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.8 years.
Quick Insights
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
$33,372
Typical Career
$45,751
Top Performers
$75,035
Estimated break-even: 10.8 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$305
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,813. Most students can comfortably afford about a $305 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Retail Trade, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$50,778
Nominal: $45,751 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).
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 | $33,372 | $42,309 | $62,818 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $33,372 | $45,751 | $75,035 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $49,659 | $69,154 | $90,301 |
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 $45,751 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)
= $45,751 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010)
= $50,778 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program's graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 63.8% and 36.2% of graduates working in related fields, alongside 13.0% in Retail Trade. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.8 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this educational route. Overall, the data indicates that a career in Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies can offer solid earnings potential and stability in key industries.
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Other Degrees at Eastern Gateway Community College
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.