Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians: 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 139 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians pays
Career outlook for Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates
The job market for the occupations Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians | 93,700 | +0.6% | $77,180 | Associate's degree |
| Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other | 67,300 | +1.5% | $77,390 | Associate's degree |
| Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay | 23,400 | +5.5% | $100,940 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Electrical and electronics drafters | 21,600 | -5.6% | $73,720 | Associate's degree |
| Sound engineering technicians | 16,900 | -1.7% | $66,430 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Calibration technologists and technicians | 15,800 | +4.7% | $65,040 | Associate's degree |
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/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians vs similar majors
How Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians stacks up against the closest fields in Engineering Technologies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians Engineering Technologies · this major | Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician | Engineering-Related Fields | Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 70 B | 97 A | 90 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $70,461 | $132,815 | $109,982 | $89,857 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $58,648 | $101,386 | $89,179 | $71,410 |
| ROI vs cost | +213% | +1,058% | +700% | +461% |
| Typical debt | $25,487 | $10,555 | $25,304 | $22,024 |
| Colleges offering it | 139 | 3 | 52 | 43 |
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians 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/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
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 | New Mexico State University-Grants Grants, NM | Certificate | $55,370 | — | +100,000% | Strong return |
| 2 | Victoria College Victoria, TX | Certificate | $88,784 | — | +14,288% | Strong return |
| 3 | Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence, SC | Certificate | $69,663 | — | +12,207% | Strong return |
| 4 | CUNY Bronx Community College Bronx, NY | Certificate | $92,963 | — | +10,649% | Strong return |
| 5 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC | Certificate | $66,445 | — | +8,817% | Strong return |
| 6 | Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg, SC | Certificate | $93,205 | — | +7,693% | Strong return |
| 7 | Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL | Certificate | $73,535 | — | +7,380% | Strong return |
| 8 | BridgeValley Community & Technical College South Charleston, WV | Certificate | $74,705 | — | +6,407% | Strong return |
| 9 | Great Basin College Elko, NV | Certificate | $97,248 | — | +6,068% | Strong return |
| 10 | Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN | Certificate | $84,134 | — | +5,675% | Strong return |
| 11 | Zane State College Zanesville, OH | Certificate | $87,663 | — | +5,192% | Strong return |
| 12 | Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, AL | Certificate | $62,305 | — | +4,823% | Strong return |
| 13 | Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND | Certificate | $114,086 | $11,892 | +4,631% | Strong return |
| 14 | Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH | Certificate | $63,572 | — | +4,254% | Strong return |
| 15 | Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GA | Certificate | $59,755 | — | +4,231% | Strong return |
| 16 | CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY | Associate's | $87,346 | — | +4,030% | Strong return |
| 17 | Portland Community College Portland, OR | Certificate | $87,006 | — | +3,937% | Strong return |
| 18 | Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY | Certificate | $77,374 | — | +3,708% | Strong return |
| 19 | Nassau Community College Garden City, NY | Certificate | $70,983 | — | +3,562% | Strong return |
| 20 | CUNY Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY | Certificate | $60,866 | — | +3,459% | Strong return |
| 21 | Owens Community College Perrysburg, OH | Certificate | $77,609 | — | +3,045% | Strong return |
| 22 | Idaho State University Pocatello, ID | Certificate | $82,305 | — | +2,960% | Strong return |
| 23 | SUNY College of Technology at Canton Canton, NY | Certificate | $89,245 | — | +2,798% | Strong return |
| 24 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI | Associate's | $88,081 | — | +2,398% | Strong return |
| 25 | Laurel Ridge Community College Middletown, VA | Certificate | $59,142 | — | +2,252% | 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.