Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at Dakota County Technical College

Dakota County Technical College's heavy equipment maintenance program graduates earn $67,618 in their first year—that's $16,000 more than the Minnesota median and nearly $13,000 above the national average for this field. Among Minnesota's five schools offering this program, it ranks in the 80th percentile, though comparison data from competing programs suggests these numbers may be inflated by a small graduating class that isn't fully representative.

The $12,000 median debt is standard for this program type, but combined with strong first-year earnings, graduates owe just 18 cents for every dollar they earn—an excellent ratio. Earnings plateau quickly, growing only about $1,500 over four years, which is typical in skilled trades where entry-level pay already reflects the technical certification. The limited sample size (under 30 graduates) means one or two graduates landing high-paying positions could skew these numbers significantly higher than what future students might experience.

This looks promising on paper, but the small cohort warrants caution. If your child is mechanically inclined and wants to work immediately after graduation, the low debt and strong starting salary make this worth exploring. Just recognize that the actual earnings range for future graduates could be wider than these numbers suggest, and career growth will likely depend on specialization or moving into supervisory roles rather than automatic advancement.