ROI Major

Environmental Control Technologies at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.05

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Environmental Control Technologies degree from Cincinnati State Technical & Community College earn a median salary of $62,278 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,121. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.6 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

$47,460

Typical Career

$62,278

Top Performers

$80,325

Estimated break-even: 7.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$415

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,190. Most students can comfortably afford about a $415 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 30.1%
Manufacturing 9.1%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.9%

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

$69,121

Nominal: $62,278 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).

7.6 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 $37,304 $48,893 $66,303
5 Years After Graduation $47,460 $62,278 $80,325
10 Years After Graduation $58,363 $73,832 $97,692

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 $62,278 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)
= $62,278 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $69,121 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Environmental Control Technologies program at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $48,893, increasing to $62,278 after five years and reaching $73,832 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $69,120.98, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge relative to the national average.

The program primarily prepares students for careers in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with a significant majority of graduates entering this field—49.7% one year after graduation, 30.1% after five years, and 23.9% after ten years. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 7.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this program appears favorable. Graduates can expect to achieve a solid financial foundation while contributing to essential services in their communities.

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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.