Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

SUNY Alfred's heavy equipment maintenance program offers a practical path to skilled trades work, but graduates earn substantially less than the national norm for this field. Starting at $45K and reaching just under $49K by year four, these numbers lag the $55K national median by roughly $10,000—placing this program in the 20th percentile nationally. That's a significant gap for a technical field where earnings typically start higher.

The state context offers an interesting wrinkle. With only four schools in New York offering this program, SUNY Alfred actually hits the state median and ranks in the 60th percentile against in-state competitors. This suggests New York's heavy equipment technicians generally earn less than their counterparts elsewhere, possibly reflecting regional demand or industry concentration. The $12,000 debt load is manageable—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 means graduates can theoretically pay off loans in roughly three months of gross earnings.

For parents, this boils down to whether trades work in New York makes sense for your child. The program delivers reasonable debt and steady employment, but the earning potential simply doesn't match what similar graduates achieve in other states. If staying in New York is the plan, this program performs competitively. If your child is mobile and willing to work in regions with stronger industrial sectors, they might find better-paying opportunities after completing a program elsewhere.