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Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Danville Community College

VA · Associate's Degree · CIP 46.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical and Power Transmission Installers degree from Danville Community College earn a median salary of $59,253 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,808. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.4 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

$34,840

Typical Career

$59,253

Top Performers

$86,367

Estimated break-even: 8.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$395

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,938. Most students can comfortably afford about a $395 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Manufacturing, Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 31.2%
Health Care & Social Assistance 18.5%
Retail Trade 9.5%

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

$57,808

Nominal: $59,253 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% 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).

8.4 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 $32,438 $52,003 $65,194
5 Years After Graduation $34,840 $59,253 $86,367
10 Years After Graduation $41,695 $60,272 $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 $59,253 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $59,253 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $57,808 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical and Power Transmission Installers program at Danville Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $52,003, increasing to $59,253 after five years, and reaching $60,272 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $57,807.8, indicating a competitive earning potential despite the cost of living index in Virginia being slightly higher than the national average.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with the top industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (40.4%), Manufacturing (31.2%), and a notable 23.8% also in Health Care & Social Assistance. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 8.4 years, suggesting that the investment in education yields a favorable return over time. Overall, the program offers a solid foundation for a stable career with promising financial outcomes.

Compare with Another School

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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.