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Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Minnesota State College Southeast

MN · Associate's Degree · CIP 47.04

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies degree from Minnesota State College Southeast earn a median salary of $42,001 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $44,634. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.8 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

$31,583

Typical Career

$42,001

Top Performers

$54,243

Estimated break-even: 16.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$280

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,500. Most students can comfortably afford about a $280 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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, Retail Trade, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 51.5%
Retail Trade 11.2%
Manufacturing 10.5%

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

$44,634

Nominal: $42,001 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).

16.8 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 $25,259 $33,355 $40,554
5 Years After Graduation $31,583 $42,001 $54,243
10 Years After Graduation $37,439 $54,580 $68,363

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 $42,001 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)
= $42,001 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $44,634 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies program at Minnesota State College Southeast can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $33,355, which increases to $42,001 five years post-graduation, and reaches $54,580 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent on a national scale is approximately $44,634.43, reflecting the program's competitive standing despite the lower cost of living index in Minnesota (0.941 vs. the national average of 1.0).

The program primarily prepares students for careers in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with a significant percentage of graduates entering this field. With 51.5% of graduates working in this industry one year after graduation, and 47.9% still engaged five years later, the program demonstrates strong relevance to current job markets. The estimated break-even point of approximately 16.8 years compared to a high school-only path suggests a reasonable return on investment for students, particularly given the stable demand in health care-related roles.

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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.