Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration at Tri-County Technical College
SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 47.02
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration degree from Tri-County Technical College earn a median salary of $54,836 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,601. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.2 years.
Quick Insights
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
$38,623
Typical Career
$54,836
Top Performers
$68,788
Estimated break-even: 10.2 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$366
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,570. Most students can comfortably afford about a $366 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$57,601
Nominal: $54,836 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).
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 | $32,074 | $42,300 | $50,686 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $38,623 | $54,836 | $68,788 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $49,109 | $62,322 | $78,929 |
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 $54,836 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)
= $54,836 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520)
= $57,601 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that employ graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 69.2% and 30.7% of placements, followed by Manufacturing at 21.2%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 10.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this program appears favorable. Overall, students can anticipate a stable career with growth potential in essential sectors, reinforcing the value of their educational investment.
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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.