ROI Major

Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.14

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology earn a median salary of $86,335 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $95,398. 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

$71,764

Typical Career

$86,335

Top Performers

$99,779

Estimated break-even: 4.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$576

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,195. Most students can comfortably afford about a $576 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 Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Manufacturing, Information.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 29.7%
Manufacturing 17.0%
Information 7.9%

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

$95,398

Nominal: $86,335 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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 $47,270 $63,381 $75,801
5 Years After Graduation $71,764 $86,335 $99,779
10 Years After Graduation $79,517 $101,061 $124,426

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 $86,335 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $86,335 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $95,398 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology experience a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $63,381, which increases to $86,335 after five years and reaches $101,061 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary translates to a national equivalent of $95,397.79, indicating that graduates are well-positioned financially, especially considering Georgia's lower cost of living index of 0.905 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (29.7%), Manufacturing (17.0%), and Information (7.9%), reflecting a diverse range of opportunities. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 4.5 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial benefits indicate a solid ROI for students considering this field at Georgia Institute of Technology.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering degree at Georgia Institute of Technology 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.

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