Fire Protection at Honolulu Community College

In Hawaii, where firefighting careers face intense competition and high living costs, this program's first-year earnings of $37,817 create an immediate financial squeeze. While debt estimates based on comparable community college programs suggest a manageable $10,370—yielding a reasonable 0.27 debt-to-earnings ratio—that monthly payment still bites harder when rent alone can consume half your paycheck in Honolulu. The earnings figure sits at the national program's 5th percentile, meaning 95% of fire protection graduates elsewhere earn significantly more, though it matches the median for Hawaii's limited fire protection offerings.

The math tells a stark story: this program earns $18,000 less in first-year wages than the national median for associate's degree fire protection graduates. That gap matters enormously in one of America's most expensive housing markets. The modest debt burden offers some cushion, but families should recognize that Hawaii's fire service hiring is notoriously competitive, and these earnings likely reflect either entry-level positions outside traditional firefighting or the state's compressed public sector wage scales. Before enrolling, verify whether graduates actually secure the firefighting positions they're training for, or if they're settling for related but lower-paying roles while waiting for openings.