ROI Major

Industrial Production Technologies at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

NC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Industrial Production Technologies degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University earn a median salary of $70,599 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $72,187. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.7 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

$48,304

Typical Career

$70,599

Top Performers

$90,499

Estimated break-even: 6.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$471

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,883. Most students can comfortably afford about a $471 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 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 16.0%
Educational Services 15.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.6%

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

$72,187

Nominal: $70,599 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).

6.7 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 $28,292 $44,669 $69,023
5 Years After Graduation $48,304 $70,599 $90,499
10 Years After Graduation $62,818 $85,089 $107,633

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 $70,599 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)
= $70,599 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9780) = $72,187 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Industrial Production Technologies from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University can expect a promising earnings trajectory. With median earnings of $44,669 one year post-graduation, this figure increases significantly to $70,599 after five years and reaches $85,089 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $72,187.12, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards despite a slightly lower cost of living index in North Carolina.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (16.0%), Educational Services (15.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.6%). This diverse range of sectors suggests a robust job market for graduates. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 6.7 years, indicating a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial benefits present a compelling case for students considering this field of study.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Industrial Production Technologies degree at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State 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.

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