Analysis
A fire protection certificate with typical debt around $9,500 and first-year earnings near $47,000 creates one of the more favorable financial profiles among technical credentials. Based on national benchmarks for similar programs, graduates would need less than three months of gross pay to cover their educational debt—a manageable burden for someone entering a field with steady employment prospects. Michigan fire protection programs typically show first-year earnings in the mid-$40,000 range, which aligns closely with these national figures and suggests reasonable consistency across the state's training providers.
The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimated figures since this specific program's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. What we can say is that peer programs nationally cluster around these earnings levels, and fire protection as a field tends to offer stable, public-sector employment with defined career ladders. The debt burden appears light enough that the typical graduate wouldn't face years of financial strain even if individual outcomes vary from these estimates.
For parents weighing this option, the estimated numbers suggest a workable investment, but you're placing faith in a program without its own track record to examine. If your student is committed to fire protection, the financial framework looks sound—just recognize you're making that judgment based on how similar programs perform elsewhere rather than concrete evidence from Macomb itself.
Where Macomb Community College Stands
Earnings vs. debt across all fire protection certificate's programs nationally
Compare to Similar Programs in Michigan
Fire Protection certificate's programs at peer institutions in Michigan (9 total in state)
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| School | In-State Tuition | Earnings (1yr)* | Earnings (4yr) | Median Debt* | Debt/Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,600 | $47,024* | — | $9,557* | — | |
| $3,020 | $44,178* | — | —* | — | |
| National Median | — | $47,024* | — | $9,557* | 0.20 |
Career Paths
Occupations commonly associated with fire protection graduates
Fire Inspectors and Investigators
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary
Firefighters
Managers, All Other
Regulatory Affairs Managers
Compliance Managers
Loss Prevention Managers
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
About This Data
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)
Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Macomb Community College, approximately 33% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.
Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.
Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.
Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the national median of 25 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.