ROI Major

Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Hudson Valley Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 46.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical and Power Transmission Installers degree from Hudson Valley Community College earn a median salary of $74,369 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,340. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.8 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

$54,836

Typical Career

$74,369

Top Performers

$104,614

Estimated break-even: 5.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$496

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,197. Most students can comfortably afford about a $496 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x 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, Public Administration, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.9%
Public Administration 11.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.7%

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

$56,340

Nominal: $74,369 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).

5.8 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 $37,853 $53,392 $74,539
5 Years After Graduation $54,836 $74,369 $104,614
10 Years After Graduation $61,590 $86,609 $124,508

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 $74,369 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)
= $74,369 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $56,340 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Hudson Valley Community College shows a significant increase over time. Graduates earn a median of $53,392 one year after graduation, which rises to $74,369 after five years and reaches $86,609 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $56,340.15, reflecting the cost of living in New York, which has a COL index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 37.8% of employment, followed by 22.9% in the same sector, and 19.6% in Public Administration. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this career path versus a high school-only education is approximately 5.8 years. Given the strong earnings potential and industry demand, the return on investment for students considering this program appears favorable over the long term.

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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.