ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Fairmont State University

WV · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Fairmont State University earn a median salary of $84,494 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WV, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $94,724. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.5 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$61,167

Typical Career

$84,494

Top Performers

$105,162

Estimated break-even: 4.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$563

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,041. Most students can comfortably afford about a $563 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in West Virginia buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.4%
Educational Services 20.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.1%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$94,724

Nominal: $84,494 in West Virginia (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

4.5 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 $44,849 $63,563 $74,391
5 Years After Graduation $61,167 $84,494 $105,162
10 Years After Graduation $92,948 $113,931 $141,116

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 $84,494 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WV, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $84,494 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $94,724 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies from Fairmont State University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $63,563, which increases to $84,494 five years later and reaches $113,931 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $94,724.22 nationally, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive salary relative to the cost of living in West Virginia, which has a cost-of-living index of 0.892 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries employing these graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (23.4%), Educational Services (20.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.1%). With a break-even point of approximately 4.5 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable. The combination of strong salary growth and diverse employment opportunities suggests that students can achieve a beneficial career outcome by choosing this academic path.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree at Fairmont State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

Explore More