ROI Major

Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies at South Plains College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies degree from South Plains College earn a median salary of $48,487 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,646. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.7 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

$34,840

Typical Career

$48,487

Top Performers

$70,298

Estimated break-even: 11.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$323

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,041. Most students can comfortably afford about a $323 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 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

Health Care & Social Assistance 28.1%
Educational Services 17.1%
Retail Trade 8.1%

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

$52,646

Nominal: $48,487 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

11.7 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 $25,770 $36,215 $56,877
5 Years After Graduation $34,840 $48,487 $70,298
10 Years After Graduation $45,751 $63,723 $78,170

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 $48,487 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,487 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $52,646 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 South Plains College can expect a positive earnings trajectory over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,215, increasing to $48,487 after five years and reaching $63,723 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $52,646.04, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to broader market conditions.

The primary industries that employ graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 69.7% of placements, followed by Educational Services at 17.1%. This concentration suggests a strong demand for technical skills in sectors that are critical to public welfare. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 11.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly given the stability and growth potential within these industries.

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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.