ROI Major

Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration at William Rainey Harper College

IL · Certificate Degree · CIP 47.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration degree from William Rainey Harper College earn a median salary of $64,204 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,939. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.3 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$46,435

Typical Career

$64,204

Top Performers

$87,285

Estimated break-even: 7.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$428

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,350. Most students can comfortably afford about a $428 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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, Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 35.5%
Manufacturing 8.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.0%

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

$69,939

Nominal: $64,204 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).

7.3 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 $35,378 $48,803 $69,082
5 Years After Graduation $46,435 $64,204 $87,285
10 Years After Graduation $50,539 $73,157 $103,229

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 $64,204 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)
= $64,204 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $69,939 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, and Refrigeration program at William Rainey Harper College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $48,803, increasing to $64,204 after five years and reaching $73,157 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $69,939, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country, despite the cost of living index in Illinois being slightly lower than the national average.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 43.2% in the first year, 35.5% after five years, and 25.2% after ten years. This consistent trend suggests a strong demand for skilled professionals in these industries, which can provide stability and growth opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 7.3 years, indicating a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this career path. Overall, the program offers a solid financial outlook and access to growing job markets.

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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.