ROI Major

Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology at Hawaii Community College

HI · Associate's Degree · CIP 47.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology degree from Hawaii Community College earn a median salary of $49,131 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in HI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $26,702. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.1 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

$38,355

Typical Career

$49,131

Top Performers

$74,729

Estimated break-even: 10.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$328

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,094. Most students can comfortably afford about a $328 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Hawaii buys what costs $1.84 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 22.9%
Retail Trade 12.5%
Educational Services 11.0%

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

$26,702

Nominal: $49,131 in Hawaii (COL 184.0% of national avg) · 45.7% 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).

10.1 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 $25,770 $32,077 $38,692
5 Years After Graduation $38,355 $49,131 $74,729
10 Years After Graduation $42,505 $79,787 $111,205

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 $49,131 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in HI, which has a cost-of-living index of 184.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $49,131 × (1.0 ÷ 1.8400) = $26,702 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology program at Hawaii Community College can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $32,077, which increases to $49,131 after five years and reaches $79,787 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $26,701.63, indicating that the cost of living in Hawaii significantly impacts real earnings.

The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, accounting for 22.9% and 21.2% of placements, followed by Accommodation & Food Services at 15.1%. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 10.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment may be moderate. While the long-term earnings potential is substantial, the high cost of living in Hawaii necessitates careful consideration of financial outcomes relative to career choices.

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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.