ROI Major

Air Transportation at Minneapolis Community and Technical College

MN · Associate's Degree · CIP 49.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Air Transportation degree from Minneapolis Community and Technical College earn a median salary of $93,846 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $99,730. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.1 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

$64,005

Typical Career

$93,846

Top Performers

$144,590

Estimated break-even: 5.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$626

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,821. Most students can comfortably afford about a $626 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.6%
Public Administration 8.8%
Retail Trade 7.3%

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

$99,730

Nominal: $93,846 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).

5.1 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 $31,611 $41,964 $53,503
5 Years After Graduation $64,005 $93,846 $144,590
10 Years After Graduation $84,874 $141,822 $171,329

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 $93,846 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $93,846 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $99,730 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Air Transportation program at Minneapolis Community and Technical College experience a significant earnings trajectory over time. With median earnings of $41,964 one year after graduation, this figure increases to $93,846 after five years and reaches $141,822 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $99,730.07, indicating that graduates can expect competitive earnings relative to their peers across the country, despite Minnesota's cost of living index being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates predominantly fall within Health Care & Social Assistance, with 57.2%, 31.6%, and 27.8% of graduates entering this sector. This concentration suggests a strong demand for skills acquired in the program within these fields. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 5.1 years, indicating a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this educational route. Overall, the data suggests that a degree in Air Transportation from this institution can lead to substantial long-term financial benefits and career opportunities.

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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.