ROI Major

Architectural Engineering Technologies at Connecticut State Community College

CT · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Architectural Engineering Technologies degree from Connecticut State Community College earn a median salary of $51,223 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $44,426. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.2 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

$30,926

Typical Career

$51,223

Top Performers

$81,671

Estimated break-even: 9.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$341

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,269. Most students can comfortably afford about a $341 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 53.3%
Educational Services 8.9%
Finance & Insurance 6.8%

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

$44,426

Nominal: $51,223 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower 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).

9.2 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 $30,018 $47,119 $75,586
5 Years After Graduation $30,926 $51,223 $81,671
10 Years After Graduation $56,877 $73,728 $91,987

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 $51,223 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,223 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $44,426 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Architectural Engineering Technologies at Connecticut State Community College shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $47,119, rising to $51,223 after five years and reaching $73,728 by the ten-year mark. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $44,425.85 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings may seem competitive, the cost of living in Connecticut (COL index of 1.153) may impact the real value of these salaries.

Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 53.3% in the first year, 46.8% after five years, and 29.5% after ten years. This concentration suggests a strong demand for skills in these industries, which can be beneficial for job security. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 9.2 years, indicating that while the investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term return on investment appears favorable for those committed to this career path.

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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.