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Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Lamar State College - Port Arthur

TX · Certificate Degree · CIP 47.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies degree from Lamar State College - Port Arthur earn a median salary of $42,505 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $46,151. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.8 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

$27,929

Typical Career

$42,505

Top Performers

$64,175

Estimated break-even: 17.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$283

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,542. Most students can comfortably afford about a $283 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 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 14.6%
Manufacturing 13.9%
Retail Trade 11.9%

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

$46,151

Nominal: $42,505 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

17.8 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 $23,771 $32,595 $38,756
5 Years After Graduation $27,929 $42,505 $64,175
10 Years After Graduation $26,804 $53,107 $74,872

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 $42,505 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $42,505 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $46,151 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies program at Lamar State College - Port Arthur can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $32,595, rising to $42,505 after five years and reaching $53,107 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $46,150.92, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite regional cost-of-living variations.

The primary industries where graduates find employment are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with a notable 91.6% entering this sector. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program and the demands of the health care industry. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 17.8 years, indicating a long-term return on investment that may be favorable for those committed to the field. Overall, while the earnings trajectory is promising, potential students should weigh the time required to recoup their educational investment against their career aspirations.

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See how the Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies degree at Lamar State College - Port Arthur stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.