Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Henry/Carroll

Tennessee's heavy equipment maintenance programs show a wide earnings range, and this Paris location sits at the lower end. While similar Tennessee programs typically produce first-year earnings around $47,400, the top-performing TCATs in the state—like Murfreesboro and Dickson—report actual outcomes above $54,000. That's a $7,000 gap that adds up quickly over a career, especially when all these schools offer the same basic credential.

The estimated debt load of $8,800 is manageable compared to what many technical programs require, and the 0.19 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests reasonable payback potential. However, Tennessee programs typically carry higher debt (around $12,000 statewide), so this estimate may be conservative. More concerning is that the earnings figure trails the national median of $50,500—unusual for a hands-on trade where local demand should matter more than national trends.

With over half the students receiving Pell grants, affordability matters here. The core question is whether proximity to Paris justifies accepting potentially lower earnings than what other Tennessee TCATs deliver. If your child can access one of the higher-performing programs without major life disruption, the earnings difference could justify the extra commute. If not, this program still offers a path to skilled work with modest debt, though tempering salary expectations makes sense given what peer schools in the state actually report.