Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Pittsburgh Technical College

Pittsburgh Technical College's nursing assistant program comes with an unusual pattern that warrants careful attention: graduates start strong with $52,039 in their first year—well above both national and Pennsylvania medians—but see earnings drop 15% to $44,421 by year four. This decline is particularly noteworthy given that most healthcare workers see steady wage growth during this period. The $19,248 in median debt is manageable at 37% of first-year earnings, but the trajectory raises questions about job stability or whether graduates transition to different roles over time.

Within Pennsylvania's nursing assistant landscape, this program sits squarely in the middle at the 60th percentile, though it's outperformed by several technical schools and community colleges where graduates earn $54,000-$66,000 with similar or lower debt loads. The program serves a substantial population of lower-income students (45% receive Pell grants), making that debt level and earnings uncertainty more consequential for families without financial cushions.

The critical caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers may not be representative. One or two outliers can dramatically skew small samples. If your child is considering this program, request concrete information from the school about graduate employment patterns—specifically why earnings might decline after the first year and what percentage of graduates remain in the field long-term.