ROI Major

Environmental Control Technologies at Owens Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Environmental Control Technologies degree from Owens Community College earn a median salary of $67,570 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $74,994. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.8 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

$51,929

Typical Career

$67,570

Top Performers

$80,540

Estimated break-even: 7.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$450

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,631. Most students can comfortably afford about a $450 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Manufacturing, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.0%
Manufacturing 12.0%
Retail Trade 7.1%

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

$74,994

Nominal: $67,570 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).

7.8 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 $23,929 $41,424 $50,311
5 Years After Graduation $51,929 $67,570 $80,540
10 Years After Graduation $33,372 $64,085 $86,086

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 $67,570 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)
= $67,570 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $74,994 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Environmental Control Technologies program at Owens Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $48,291, which increases to $60,272 after five years and reaches $65,458 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $66,894.56 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards despite the cost of living index in Ohio being lower than the national average.

The program primarily prepares graduates for careers in Health Care & Social Assistance, with 67.6% entering this sector, followed by 37.0% in related roles and 26.7% in Manufacturing. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is around 8.3 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for students pursuing this path. Overall, the combination of solid earnings potential and diverse industry opportunities presents a favorable outlook for those considering this field.

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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.