Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies at Northwest College
WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.13
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies degree from Northwest College earn a median salary of $48,829 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,448. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.9 years.
Quick Insights
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
$26,371
Typical Career
$48,829
Top Performers
$68,891
Estimated break-even: 11.9 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$326
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,069. Most students can comfortably afford about a $326 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 Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Retail Trade.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$52,448
Nominal: $48,829 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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).
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 | $27,333 | $40,568 | $54,404 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $26,371 | $48,829 | $68,891 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $47,574 | $60,442 | $91,987 |
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 $48,829 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,829 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310)
= $52,448 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (41.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (23.9%), and a further segment of Health Care & Social Assistance (22.9%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 11.9 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment over time. Overall, the data indicates that pursuing a career in drafting and design engineering technologies at Northwest College can yield substantial long-term financial benefits.
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Other Degrees at Northwest College
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.