ROI Major

Engineering Technologies, Other at Old Dominion University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Engineering Technologies, Other degree from Old Dominion University earn a median salary of $90,505 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $88,298. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.9 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$73,463

Typical Career

$90,505

Top Performers

$110,540

Estimated break-even: 3.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$603

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,542. Most students can comfortably afford about a $603 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.1%
Educational Services 17.3%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 14.8%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$88,298

Nominal: $90,505 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% 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).

3.9 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 $54,408 $72,000 $90,243
5 Years After Graduation $73,463 $90,505 $110,540
10 Years After Graduation $85,908 $107,874 $139,408

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 $90,505 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $90,505 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $88,298 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Engineering Technologies, Other from Old Dominion University can expect a strong earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $72,000, increasing to $90,505 after five years and reaching $107,874 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $88,297.56, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings despite the cost of living in Virginia, which has a cost-of-living index of 1.025 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (20.1%), Educational Services (17.3%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (14.8%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 3.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Overall, the data suggests that graduates can achieve significant financial benefits and career opportunities within a relatively short timeframe.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Engineering Technologies, Other degree at Old Dominion University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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