Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians at Clackamas Community College

A first-year salary around $57,000 looks solid for an associate degree—until you see that similar programs across Oregon typically produce earnings near $78,450. That $20,000+ gap between what comparable programs in the state deliver versus what this program's graduates appear to earn deserves careful attention. The four-year earnings figure of $48,428 compounds the concern, suggesting graduates may actually see their income decline rather than grow in the years after completing the degree.

The debt picture offers some relief: an estimated $12,000 is manageable relative to that first-year earning potential, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21. That's workable even at the lower salary level. But the fundamental question remains why this program would fall so far behind its Oregon peers when industrial production technicians elsewhere in the state command significantly higher wages.

The honest takeaway is this: if your child can access one of Oregon's better-performing industrial production programs—Portland Community College being the clear benchmark at the state median—that alternative would likely deliver substantially better returns. If Clackamas is the only practical option due to location or other constraints, the debt burden won't be crushing, but you should go in expecting earnings well below what the field typically offers in Oregon's market.