ROI Major

Computer Engineering Technologies at Queensborough Community College-CUNY

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.12

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Computer Engineering Technologies degree from Queensborough Community College-CUNY earn a median salary of $58,275 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $44,148. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.9 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

$41,357

Typical Career

$58,275

Top Performers

$79,271

Estimated break-even: 8.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$389

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,856. Most students can comfortably afford about a $389 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.2%
Educational Services 9.3%
Finance & Insurance 8.7%

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

$44,148

Nominal: $58,275 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% lower 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).

8.9 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 $24,029 $32,687 $48,315
5 Years After Graduation $41,357 $58,275 $79,271
10 Years After Graduation $58,363 $81,671 $110,237

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 $58,275 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $58,275 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $44,148 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates of the Computer Engineering Technologies program at Queensborough Community College-CUNY shows a significant increase over time. Median earnings one year after graduation are reported at $32,687, which rise to $58,275 after five years and reach $81,671 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $44,147.73 nationally, reflecting the higher cost of living in New York, where the cost of living index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, comprising 28.3% and 27.2% of the workforce, followed by Educational Services at 9.3%. The estimated break-even point for this educational path versus a high school-only path is approximately 8.9 years, indicating a moderate return on investment. While the program offers a promising earnings trajectory, prospective students should consider the cost of living and industry trends when evaluating their career choices.

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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.