ROI Major

Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Trinidad State College

CO · Associate's Degree · CIP 46.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Electrical and Power Transmission Installers degree from Trinidad State College earn a median salary of $72,585 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,063. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.5 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$48,943

Typical Career

$72,585

Top Performers

$109,723

Estimated break-even: 6.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$484

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,049. Most students can comfortably afford about a $484 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 Colorado buys what costs $1.05 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 26.4%
Retail Trade 10.7%
Public Administration 10.1%

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

$69,063

Nominal: $72,585 in Colorado (COL 105.1% of national avg) · 4.9% 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).

6.5 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 $31,237 $43,317 $63,826
5 Years After Graduation $48,943 $72,585 $109,723
10 Years After Graduation $62,818 $95,830 $132,649

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 $72,585 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CO, which has a cost-of-living index of 105.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $72,585 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0510) = $69,063 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Electrical and Power Transmission Installers program at Trinidad State College can expect a strong earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $43,317, which increases significantly to $72,585 after five years and reaches $95,830 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $69,062.8 nationally, reflecting a competitive position in the job market despite the cost of living index in Colorado being slightly higher than the national average.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, with 32.8% of graduates entering this sector, followed by 29.8% and 26.4% in similar roles. This concentration suggests a robust demand for skilled workers in these fields. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this program appears favorable, indicating that the program can lead to substantial long-term financial benefits.

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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.