ROI Major

Engineering Technologies, Other at Terra State Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.99

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Engineering Technologies, Other degree from Terra State Community College earn a median salary of $41,424 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,976. The degree typically pays for itself in 24.1 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

$27,814

Typical Career

$41,424

Top Performers

$55,111

Estimated break-even: 24.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$276

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,452. Most students can comfortably afford about a $276 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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: Manufacturing, Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 26.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.8%
Retail Trade 7.5%

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

$45,976

Nominal: $41,424 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).

24.1 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 $20,163 $26,837 $41,244
5 Years After Graduation $27,814 $41,424 $55,111
10 Years After Graduation $35,253 $48,943 $68,476

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 $41,424 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)
= $41,424 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $45,976 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Engineering Technologies, Other program at Terra State Community College experience a gradual increase in median earnings over time. One year post-graduation, the median earnings stand at $26,837, which rises to $41,424 after five years and reaches $48,943 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $45,975.58, reflecting the impact of the cost of living in Ohio, which has a cost of living index of 0.901 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The primary industries for graduates are heavily concentrated in manufacturing, with 38.8%, 29.9%, and 26.4% of graduates entering this sector. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 24.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this program may be considered moderate. While the earnings trajectory shows potential for growth, the long break-even period suggests that students should weigh their options carefully when considering this educational path.

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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.