Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies at Gateway Community College
CT · Certificate Degree · CIP 15.13
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies degree from Gateway Community College earn a median salary of $58,858 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,048. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.1 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
$41,964
Typical Career
$58,858
Top Performers
$79,787
Estimated break-even: 8.1 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$392
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,905. Most students can comfortably afford about a $392 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 Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Retail Trade.
Where Certificate 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
$51,048
Nominal: $58,858 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).
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 | $30,764 | $44,398 | $62,181 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $41,964 | $58,858 | $79,787 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $65,986 | $81,671 | $97,751 |
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 $58,858 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)
= $58,858 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530)
= $51,048 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 42.1%, 41.2%, and 22.1% of graduates finding employment in these areas. This concentration suggests a stable demand for skills in drafting and design within these industries. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 8.1 years, indicating that the investment in education may yield a favorable return over time, particularly in a growing field such as health care.
Compare with Another School
See how the Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies degree at Gateway Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Explore More
Other Degrees at Gateway Community College
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.