---
title: Is a Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians degree worth the debt?
cip: 1508
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **59** colleges (59 of 59 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $58,773 ($58,673 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $25,234 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.43× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $55,914–$62,246 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate | $41,678 | $6,175 | 0.15× | 5 | 5/5 |
| Associate's | $48,680 | $16,500 | 0.34× | 18 | 18/18 |
| Bachelor's | $58,773 | $25,234 | 0.43× | 59 | 59/59 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cal Poly Maritime Academy (CA) | $95,733 | $24,757 |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell (MA) | $78,046 | — |
| Wayne State University (MI) | $72,343 | — |
| Cleveland State University (OH) | $67,269 | — |
| Central Connecticut State University (CT) | $66,701 | $29,250 |
| Weber State University (UT) | $66,394 | $12,250 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) | $65,455 | $28,000 |
| University of North Texas (TX) | $65,298 | $23,980 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus (IN) | $64,679 | $19,500 |
| Central Michigan University (MI) | $64,535 | $28,000 |
| Ferris State University (MI) | $64,480 | $23,500 |
| Michigan Technological University (MI) | $63,302 | $29,598 |
| New England Institute of Technology (RI) | $62,855 | $29,833 |
| University of Dayton (OH) | $62,507 | $27,000 |
| Eastern Michigan University (MI) | $62,313 | $27,000 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/mechanical-engineering-related-technologies-technicians.jsonld` · `/education/fields/mechanical-engineering-related-technologies-technicians.json`