Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
69
Optimistic
71
Base Case
72
Pessimistic
Earnings
$65,331/yr (0% vs median)
AI Risk
Low (11% exposed)
Job Market
Large (80,400 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $829K | $694K | $602K |
| Earnings Multiple | 15.2x | 12.7x | 11.0x |
| Viable Career Paths | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 69 | 71 | 72 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition
$54,520
Median Debt at Graduation
$23,250
4.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$80,009
22% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 80,400 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator and escalator installers and repairers | $106,580 | 2,000 | +5.0% | 18% |
| Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door | $74,690 | 3,900 | +1.3% | 13% |
| Rail car repairers | $65,680 | 1,500 | +2.8% | 10% |
| Millwrights | $65,170 | 3,600 | 0.0% | 2% |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | $63,980 | 16,500 | +5.8% | 10% |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | $63,760 | 45,700 | +16.1% | 27% |
| Wind turbine service technicians | $62,580 | 2,300 | +49.9% | 4% |
| Maintenance workers, machinery | $60,500 | 4,800 | -2.8% | 14% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at Ferris State University?
This program scores 71/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 69 (optimistic) to 72 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies graduates retain 9 of 9 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $602,276 (pessimistic) to $829,335 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies have roughly 80,400 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies at Ferris State University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 12.7x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 11.0x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.