ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Purdue University

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Purdue University earn a median salary of $93,538 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $103,471. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.8 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

$75,979

Typical Career

$93,538

Top Performers

$114,519

Estimated break-even: 3.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$624

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,795. Most students can comfortably afford about a $624 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Manufacturing, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 17.5%
Manufacturing 17.0%
Educational Services 11.1%

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

$103,471

Nominal: $93,538 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

3.8 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 $56,944 $72,869 $88,376
5 Years After Graduation $75,979 $93,538 $114,519
10 Years After Graduation $91,851 $114,478 $141,901

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 $93,538 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $93,538 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $103,471 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies from Purdue University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $72,869, which increases to $93,538 after five years and reaches $114,478 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $103,471.24, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for Purdue graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (17.5%), Manufacturing (17.0%), and Educational Services (11.1%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 3.8 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial outcomes for graduates appear robust, making this a viable option for students considering their future in engineering technologies.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree at Purdue 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.

Explore More