ROI Major

Mechanic and Repair Technologies, Other at Triton College

IL · Associate's Degree · CIP 47.99

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Mechanic and Repair Technologies, Other degree from Triton College earn a median salary of $103,090 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $112,298. The degree typically pays for itself in 2.7 years.

Quick Insights

Financial Home Run

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

$68,098

Typical Career

$103,090

Top Performers

$120,566

Estimated to break even in under 3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$687

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $8,591. Most students can comfortably afford about a $687 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.3x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 35.0%
Retail Trade 8.4%
Educational Services 7.9%

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

$112,298

Nominal: $103,090 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% 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).

2.7 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 $54,404 $94,869 $111,805
5 Years After Graduation $68,098 $103,090 $120,566
10 Years After Graduation $78,529 $112,807 $131,379

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 $103,090 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $103,090 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $112,298 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Mechanic and Repair Technologies from Triton College can expect a strong earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $87,772, which increases to $100,394 after five years and reaches $115,921 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $109,361.66, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to the national landscape, despite Illinois having a cost of living index of 0.918.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with a significant percentage entering this sector at 39.5%, 35.0%, and 33.7% respectively. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately three years, suggesting a favorable return on investment. Overall, pursuing a career in Mechanic and Repair Technologies at Triton College appears to offer a solid financial outlook and opportunities for growth within a stable industry.

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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.