ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Dutchess Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Dutchess Community College earn a median salary of $76,595 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,027. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.2 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$54,898

Typical Career

$76,595

Top Performers

$94,922

Estimated break-even: 5.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$511

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,383. Most students can comfortably afford about a $511 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 New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.1%
Retail Trade 10.7%
Educational Services 8.5%

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

$58,027

Nominal: $76,595 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% 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).

5.2 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 $46,497 $59,848 $74,943
5 Years After Graduation $54,898 $76,595 $94,922
10 Years After Graduation $70,870 $89,880 $116,180

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 $76,595 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $76,595 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $58,027 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies program at Dutchess Community College can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $59,848, increasing to $76,595 after five years and reaching $89,880 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $58,026.52, indicating that while initial earnings are strong, the cost of living in New York (COL index: 1.32) may impact the overall financial benefit compared to national averages.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 34.9% and 27.1% of graduates working in this field, followed by Educational Services at 14.5%. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 5.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment appears favorable for those pursuing this degree. The combination of growing earnings potential and strong industry placement suggests that this program offers a viable career path for students in the field.

Compare with Another School

See how the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree at Dutchess Community College 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.