Fire Protection at Blackhawk Technical College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 positions this program favorably among career-focused technical credentials, though both the earnings and debt figures are drawn from comparable fire protection programs nationally rather than Blackhawk's own outcomes. With estimated debt around $10,370—slightly below the national median for associate-level fire protection programs—and first-year earnings near $56,000, graduates would theoretically need less than three months of gross income to cover their educational investment. This ratio suggests solid financial footing for entry into a field with relatively stable public sector employment.

The challenge is uncertainty. Fire protection programs vary considerably in how they serve their local markets—some feed municipal fire departments with competitive salaries, while others primarily train for industrial fire safety roles or emergency medical services positions that pay differently. Wisconsin's median debt for these programs sits at $10,000, close to the estimate here, but without reported earnings data from any of the state's ten fire protection programs, it's difficult to know whether the national $56,000 median reflects Wisconsin's labor market realities. Municipal firefighter positions in smaller Wisconsin communities may start lower than in metropolitan areas that drive national averages.

The financial picture looks manageable on paper, but verify what specific certifications this program provides and where recent graduates actually work. Contact the program directly for placement rates and starting salary ranges at local departments—that concrete information matters more than estimates derived from distant peer programs.