ROI Major

Engineering-Related Technologies at University of Akron (The)

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.11

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Engineering-Related Technologies degree from University of Akron (The) earn a median salary of $73,958 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $82,084. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.4 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

$57,966

Typical Career

$73,958

Top Performers

$97,170

Estimated break-even: 5.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$493

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,163. Most students can comfortably afford about a $493 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.4%
Educational Services 14.8%
Manufacturing 11.1%

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

$82,084

Nominal: $73,958 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

5.4 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 $46,559 $59,848 $73,747
5 Years After Graduation $57,966 $73,958 $97,170
10 Years After Graduation $70,412 $86,981 $106,266

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 $73,958 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $73,958 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $82,084 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the University of Akron's Engineering-Related Technologies program can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $59,848, which increases to $73,958 after five years and reaches $86,981 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $82,084.35, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite regional cost-of-living factors, as Ohio's COL index is 0.901 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates highlight diverse career opportunities, with 21.4% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 14.8% in Educational Services, and 11.1% in Manufacturing. The estimated break-even point for choosing a degree over a high-school-only path is approximately 5.4 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this educational route. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Engineering-Related Technologies from the University of Akron can lead to promising career prospects and financial benefits in the long term.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Engineering-Related Technologies degree at University of Akron (The) 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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