ROI Major

Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology at Piedmont Technical College

SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 47.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology degree from Piedmont Technical College earn a median salary of $67,734 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $71,149. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.2 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$51,132

Typical Career

$67,734

Top Performers

$83,681

Estimated break-even: 6.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$452

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,645. Most students can comfortably afford about a $452 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 South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 32.9%
Manufacturing 20.7%
Public Administration 8.3%

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

$71,149

Nominal: $67,734 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).

6.2 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 $43,365 $57,619 $73,785
5 Years After Graduation $51,132 $67,734 $83,681
10 Years After Graduation $59,253 $77,021 $96,791

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 $67,734 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)
= $67,734 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $71,149 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology program at Piedmont Technical College can expect a solid earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $54,173, which increases to $66,172 five years post-graduation and reaches $76,015 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $69,508.4, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living relative to national averages despite the cost of living index in South Carolina being slightly lower than the national average.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 55.5% of them finding employment in this field. This concentration suggests a strong demand for skilled technicians in health-related industries, which can provide job stability and growth opportunities. The estimated break-even point for this educational path compared to a high school-only route is approximately 6.6 years, indicating a favorable return on investment for students pursuing this technical education. Overall, the career prospects and financial benefits appear promising for graduates in 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.