Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Eastern Maine Community College

At first glance, earning nearly $47,000 straight out of a certificate program with under $12,000 in debt looks solid—that's a 0.25 debt-to-earnings ratio that most parents dream about. This program beats the national median by over $8,000, landing in the 74th percentile among electrical programs nationwide. However, the Maine-specific picture is more complicated: this program trails the state median and sits at just the 40th percentile among the five Maine schools offering this credential. That gap matters because your child will likely compete for jobs against graduates from programs like Kennebec Valley, where median earnings reach $70,000.

The modest debt load is genuinely impressive—well below both national and state medians—meaning your child won't be burdened by payments even if they land on the lower end of the earnings range. But with a small cohort here (under 30 graduates), these numbers could shift considerably year to year. One strong or weak graduating class can skew the data dramatically.

Bottom line: This program offers a low-risk entry into skilled trades work with manageable debt, but if your child is serious about electrical work and can access Kennebec Valley or even Southern Maine Community College, the earnings premium—potentially $20,000+ more annually—would justify exploring those options first. Eastern Maine gets you working with minimal debt, but other Maine programs deliver significantly stronger earning power.