ROI Major

Engineering Technologies, General at University of Wisconsin - Stout

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.00

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Engineering Technologies, General degree from University of Wisconsin - Stout earn a median salary of $80,581 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $84,733. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.7 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

$68,194

Typical Career

$80,581

Top Performers

$93,794

Estimated break-even: 4.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$537

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,715. Most students can comfortably afford about a $537 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wisconsin buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 18.9%
Educational Services 14.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 10.2%

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

$84,733

Nominal: $80,581 in Wisconsin (COL 95.1% of national avg) · 5.2% 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).

4.7 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 $52,865 $63,966 $73,578
5 Years After Graduation $68,194 $80,581 $93,794
10 Years After Graduation $80,624 $97,019 $118,245

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 $80,581 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WI, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $80,581 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $84,733 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Engineering Technologies, General program at the University of Wisconsin - Stout experience a promising earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $63,966, which increases to $80,581 after five years and reaches $97,019 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $84,732.91, indicating that graduates can expect competitive compensation relative to their peers across the country, especially considering Wisconsin's lower cost of living index of 0.951.

The program prepares students for diverse career opportunities, with notable entry into industries such as Manufacturing (18.9%), Educational Services (14.6%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (10.2%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 4.7 years, suggesting a solid return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of favorable earnings potential and industry demand supports a positive outlook for graduates in the Engineering Technologies field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Engineering Technologies, General degree at University of Wisconsin - Stout 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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