Electrical and Power Transmission Installers: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 161 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Electrical and Power Transmission Installers pays
Career outlook for Electrical and Power Transmission Installers graduates
The job market for the occupations Electrical and Power Transmission Installers graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | 921,600 | +5.3% | $78,690 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electricians | 818,700 | +9.5% | $62,350 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers | 617,500 | +3.1% | $78,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers | 127,400 | +6.6% | $92,560 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Security and fire alarm systems installers | 85,900 | +10.4% | $59,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay | 23,400 | +5.5% | $100,940 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers vs similar majors
How Electrical and Power Transmission Installers stacks up against the closest fields in Construction Trades on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Construction Trades · this major | Construction Trades, Other | Construction Trades, General | Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 54 C | 52 C | 34 F | 33 F |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Poor return | Poor return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $59,986 | $59,770 | $52,003 | $50,900 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $43,849 | $35,515 | $47,891 | $36,996 |
| ROI vs cost | +98% | +93% | -8% | -22% |
| Typical debt | $9,663 | $12,000 | $10,818 | $9,551 |
| Colleges offering it | 161 | 5 | 7 | 17 |
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond Community College Hamlet, NC | Certificate | $107,733 | — | +12,271% | Strong return |
| 2 | Alpena Community College Alpena, MI | Certificate | $85,508 | — | +12,101% | Strong return |
| 3 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Perkinston, MS | Certificate | $118,072 | — | +10,396% | Strong return |
| 4 | Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont, WV | Certificate | $131,521 | — | +10,293% | Strong return |
| 5 | South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA | Certificate | $57,068 | — | +10,268% | Strong return |
| 6 | Alpena Community College Alpena, MI | Certificate | $92,213 | $5,500 | +8,768% | Strong return |
| 7 | Great Basin College Elko, NV | Certificate | $113,066 | — | +7,935% | Strong return |
| 8 | Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield, ME | Certificate | $88,632 | $5,500 | +7,277% | Strong return |
| 9 | City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Chicago, IL | Certificate | $93,573 | — | +6,059% | Strong return |
| 10 | Metropolitan Community College Area Omaha, NE | Certificate | $94,902 | $8,628 | +6,041% | Strong return |
| 11 | SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA | Certificate | $90,663 | — | +5,968% | Strong return |
| 12 | Nash Community College Rocky Mount, NC | Certificate | $63,808 | — | +5,535% | Strong return |
| 13 | Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro, KY | Certificate | $76,975 | — | +5,413% | Strong return |
| 14 | Manhattan Area Technical College Manhattan, KS | Certificate | $100,127 | — | +5,372% | Strong return |
| 15 | Emily Griffith Technical College Denver, CO | Certificate | $81,807 | — | +5,014% | Strong return |
| 16 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN | Certificate | $91,485 | $5,500 | +4,919% | Strong return |
| 17 | Trinidad State College Trinidad, CO | Certificate | $97,702 | — | +4,793% | Strong return |
| 18 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN | Certificate | $79,822 | — | +4,698% | Strong return |
| 19 | Arkansas State University-Newport Newport, AR | Certificate | $81,213 | — | +4,189% | Strong return |
| 20 | Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Elizabethtown, KY | Certificate | $74,365 | $5,798 | +3,947% | Strong return |
| 21 | Hinds Community College Raymond, MS | Certificate | $61,340 | — | +3,925% | Strong return |
| 22 | Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon, IA | Certificate | $110,999 | $5,500 | +3,828% | Strong return |
| 23 | Itawamba Community College Fulton, MS | Certificate | $62,676 | — | +3,729% | Strong return |
| 24 | Texas State Technical College Waco, TX | Certificate | $106,862 | $7,335 | +3,723% | Strong return |
| 25 | Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles, CA | Certificate | $91,986 | — | +3,713% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.