ROI Major

Construction Trades, Other at Emily Griffith Technical College

CO · Associate's Degree · CIP 46.99

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Construction Trades, Other degree from Emily Griffith Technical College earn a median salary of $69,154 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,798. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.8 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

$50,710

Typical Career

$69,154

Top Performers

$90,114

Estimated break-even: 5.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$461

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,763. Most students can comfortably afford about a $461 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Colorado buys what costs $1.05 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Construction, Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Construction 33.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 17.5%
Retail Trade 5.5%

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

$65,798

Nominal: $69,154 in Colorado (COL 105.1% of national avg) · 4.9% 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).

5.8 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 $46,620 $60,272 $75,214
5 Years After Graduation $50,710 $69,154 $90,114
10 Years After Graduation $55,978 $79,048 $107,249

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 $69,154 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CO, which has a cost-of-living index of 105.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $69,154 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0510) = $65,798 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Construction Trades program at Emily Griffith Technical College can expect a solid earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $60,272, increasing to $69,154 after five years, and reaching $79,048 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $65,798.29, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in earnings relative to the cost of living in Colorado, which has a cost of living index of 1.051 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates reveal a strong focus on construction, with 44.9% entering this sector, followed by another 33.2% also in construction-related roles, and 20.2% in health care and social assistance. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 5.8 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this path. Overall, the data indicates that the Construction Trades program offers a viable career option with a promising financial outlook.

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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.