Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at College of Coastal Georgia
GA · Associate's Degree · CIP 47.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies degree from College of Coastal Georgia earn a median salary of $78,843 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $87,119. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.3 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
$63,134
Typical Career
$78,843
Top Performers
$91,636
Estimated break-even: 4.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$526
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,570. Most students can comfortably afford about a $526 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Accommodation & Food 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
$87,119
Nominal: $78,843 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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 | $32,639 | $72,585 | $87,244 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $63,134 | $78,843 | $91,636 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $49,855 | $68,363 | $104,864 |
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 $78,843 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $78,843 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050)
= $87,119 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 42.5% employed in this field one year after graduation, which remains significant at 38.4% and 34.9% after five and ten years, respectively. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 4.5 years, suggesting that the investment in education yields a favorable return over time. Overall, the combination of steady earnings and strong industry placement supports a positive return on investment for students pursuing this career path.
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See how the Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies degree at College of Coastal Georgia stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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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.