Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Wake Technical Community College

Similar electrical and power transmission programs in North Carolina produce first-year earnings around $57,000, making Wake Tech's estimated $44,700 figure notably lower than the state average. With 31 schools offering this program across North Carolina and outcomes ranging from roughly $40,000 to nearly $74,000, the variance suggests that program quality, employer connections, and local labor markets matter significantly. Wake Tech's estimated numbers place it closer to the bottom of that range rather than the middle or top.

The debt picture looks manageable—an estimated $12,000 against those earnings yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27, well within reasonable bounds even if actual outcomes diverge from these estimates. That's roughly three months of gross income, a burden most graduates can handle. However, the earning potential relative to other community college programs in the state is the real question mark. If comparable programs elsewhere in North Carolina consistently produce outcomes 25-30% higher in the first year, that gap compounds significantly over a career in this field.

Because these figures are derived from peer programs rather than Wake Tech's actual graduate outcomes, visit the campus and ask pointed questions: Where do recent graduates work? What's their typical starting wage? How strong are the employer partnerships? The difference between $45,000 and $57,000 matters—it's the difference between a solid technical credential and one that underperforms the state market.