ROI Major

Ground Transportation at Greenville Technical College

SC · Certificate Degree · CIP 49.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Ground Transportation degree from Greenville Technical College earn a median salary of $51,400 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,992. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.3 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

$38,079

Typical Career

$51,400

Top Performers

$66,408

Estimated break-even: 12.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$343

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,283. Most students can comfortably afford about a $343 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 25.6%
Manufacturing 15.2%
Retail Trade 8.8%

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

$53,992

Nominal: $51,400 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% 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).

12.3 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 $31,850 $43,670 $56,320
5 Years After Graduation $38,079 $51,400 $66,408
10 Years After Graduation $41,852 $55,007 $69,819

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 $51,400 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,400 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $53,992 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Ground Transportation program at Greenville Technical College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $43,670, which increases to $51,400 five years post-graduation, and reaches $55,007 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $53,991.6, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to the national average despite the cost of living index in South Carolina being slightly lower at 0.952.

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with notable percentages entering various roles within this industry. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 12.3 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this program. Overall, the combination of steady earnings growth and strong industry demand positions the Ground Transportation program as a viable career path for students at Greenville Technical College.

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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.