Fire Protection at Bunker Hill Community College

Fire protection programs in Massachusetts typically produce substantially higher earnings than the national average—North Shore Community College's graduates earn over $90,000 in their first year, nearly double the national median. That makes Bunker Hill's estimated $56,000 first-year earnings, based on national benchmarks, a potential yellow flag. If this program actually follows the state pattern rather than the national one, it would be an excellent investment. If it truly aligns with national outcomes, you'd be looking at a program that underperforms its Massachusetts peers by about $35,000 annually.

The estimated debt of around $10,400 is reasonable for a two-year degree, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19 even using the conservative national earnings figure. Fire protection careers also tend to offer strong benefits and job security that don't show up in first-year earnings alone. However, the wide gap between state and national outcomes for this field means the financial picture could look dramatically different depending on which pattern this program actually follows.

Given the data limitations, contact Bunker Hill's career services directly to ask about actual graduate outcomes and Boston-area employment connections. The difference between a $56,000 and $90,000 starting point is significant enough to warrant a phone call before enrolling.