ROI Major

Construction Engineering Technology at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Construction Engineering Technology degree from SUNY College of Technology at Alfred earn a median salary of $72,095 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,617. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.1 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$59,600

Typical Career

$72,095

Top Performers

$85,664

Estimated break-even: 6.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$481

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,008. Most students can comfortably afford about a $481 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Manufacturing, Construction.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 21.8%
Manufacturing 17.1%
Construction 12.5%

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

$54,617

Nominal: $72,095 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% 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).

6.1 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 $41,154 $50,919 $58,363
5 Years After Graduation $59,600 $72,095 $85,664
10 Years After Graduation $67,570 $89,578 $108,603

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 $72,095 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $72,095 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $54,617 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Construction Engineering Technology program at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred experience a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $50,919, which increases to $72,095 five years post-graduation and reaches $89,578 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation are equivalent to $54,617.42 nationally, indicating that while the cost of living in New York is higher (COL index of 1.32), graduates still maintain a competitive salary relative to national standards.

The program's graduates primarily enter industries such as Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (21.8%), Manufacturing (17.1%), and Construction (12.5%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 6.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. Overall, the combination of solid salary growth and diverse industry opportunities suggests that a degree in Construction Engineering Technology offers a viable career path for students.

Compare with Another School

See how the Construction Engineering Technology degree at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred 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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