ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at Iowa Central Community College

IA · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from Iowa Central Community College earn a median salary of $56,512 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $63,354. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.7 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

$42,846

Typical Career

$56,512

Top Performers

$74,077

Estimated break-even: 9.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$377

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,709. Most students can comfortably afford about a $377 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Iowa buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.1%
Manufacturing 12.0%
Educational Services 9.5%

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

$63,354

Nominal: $56,512 in Iowa (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).

9.7 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 $27,453 $40,342 $51,714
5 Years After Graduation $42,846 $56,512 $74,077
10 Years After Graduation $55,346 $65,392 $85,664

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 $56,512 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IA, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $56,512 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $63,354 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies program at Iowa Central Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $40,342, which increases to $56,512 after five years and reaches $65,392 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $63,354.26, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earning potential relative to national standards despite Iowa's lower cost of living index.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with 48.9% of graduates working in this sector. This trend suggests a strong demand for skills in electrical and electronic engineering within health-related fields. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 9.7 years, indicating a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this educational path. Overall, the program offers a solid career trajectory with promising financial returns in relevant industries.

Compare with Another School

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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.