---
title: Is a Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians degree worth the debt?
cip: 1507
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 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **19** colleges (19 of 19 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $61,310 ($59,402 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $24,718 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.41× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $56,232–$65,712 — 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Associate's | $42,596 | $15,036 | 0.27× | 6 | 6/6 |
| Bachelor's | $61,310 | $24,718 | 0.41× | 19 | 19/19 |
| Master's | $73,610 | $36,693 | 0.48× | 12 | 12/12 |

## 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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Columbia Southern University (AL) | $68,385 | $23,425 |
| Central Washington University (WA) | $68,024 | $25,333 |
| Eastern Kentucky University (KY) | $67,935 | $30,849 |
| Jacksonville State University (AL) | $66,518 | $20,500 |
| Waldorf University (IA) | $65,975 | $18,699 |
| Murray State University (KY) | $65,448 | $24,561 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania (PA) | $64,115 | $26,000 |
| Marshall University (WV) | $61,623 | $24,875 |
| University of Central Missouri (MO) | $61,348 | $27,000 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (PA) | $61,310 | $24,000 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania (PA) | $60,940 | $25,000 |
| Indiana State University (IN) | $60,814 | — |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (WI) | $60,418 | $21,500 |
| Grand Valley State University (MI) | $57,039 | $28,894 |
| Keene State College (NH) | $55,424 | $25,000 |

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/quality-control-and-safety-technologies-technicians.jsonld` · `/education/fields/quality-control-and-safety-technologies-technicians.json`