Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology at Surry Community College

In North Carolina's manufacturing-heavy economy, electrical maintenance technicians remain consistently in demand, but evaluating Surry Community College's program requires looking at what similar associate programs produce nationwide. Based on comparable two-year electrical maintenance programs across the country, graduates typically earn around $45,300 in their first year—solid middle-class income for a two-year credential. The estimated $12,000 in debt sits comfortably below both the national median for this field and the general community college average, suggesting Surry keeps costs manageable even if we can't verify their exact graduate outcomes.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26 falls well within the range financial aid experts consider sustainable (below 0.5 is the typical threshold). With only two schools in North Carolina offering this specific associate degree, the limited data makes state-level comparisons impossible, but the national picture shows this is an established technical pathway with predictable outcomes. For parents weighing this against other options, the key consideration is regional job availability—electrical maintenance skills translate across industries from textiles to data centers, giving graduates flexibility in a state with diverse manufacturing bases.

The core question here isn't whether the investment pencils out—based on peer programs, it likely does—but whether your student can verify actual job placement rates and employer connections at Surry specifically, since those relationships matter more than the credential itself in skilled trades.