ROI Major

Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Pennsylvania State University (The) - York

PA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.10

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree from Pennsylvania State University (The) - York earn a median salary of $99,192 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in PA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $101,113. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.5 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

$74,110

Typical Career

$99,192

Top Performers

$110,938

Estimated break-even: 3.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$661

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $8,266. Most students can comfortably afford about a $661 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.3x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Pennsylvania buys what costs $0.98 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 18.4%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 10.3%

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

$101,113

Nominal: $99,192 in Pennsylvania (COL 98.1% of national avg) · 1.9% 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).

3.5 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 $59,517 $74,545 $102,914
5 Years After Graduation $74,110 $99,192 $110,938
10 Years After Graduation $90,582 $112,807 $131,687

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 $99,192 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in PA, which has a cost-of-living index of 98.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $99,192 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9810) = $101,113 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (The) - York can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $74,545, which increases significantly to $99,192 five years post-graduation and reaches $112,807 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the purchasing-power-adjusted median earnings five years after graduation are approximately $101,113.15, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living relative to national averages.

The top industries for graduates include Manufacturing (18.4%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.5%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (10.3%), reflecting diverse opportunities in the job market. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 3.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Overall, the combination of strong earning potential and diverse career options suggests that a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from this institution can provide a solid foundation for a successful career.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree at Pennsylvania State University (The) - York 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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