Agricultural Mechanization at Purdue University-Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN · Public · Bachelor's Degree
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
68
Optimistic
69
Base Case
68
Pessimistic
Earnings
$58,806/yr (5% vs median)
AI Risk
Moderate (22% exposed)
Job Market
Large (51,600 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Agricultural Mechanization graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $697K | $612K | $525K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 17.4x | 15.3x | 13.1x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 6.0x | 5.3x | 4.6x |
| Viable Career Paths | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 68 | 69 | 68 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$39,968
Out-of-state: $115,176
Median Debt at Graduation
$19,727
4.0 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$68,039
16% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Agricultural Mechanization graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 51,600 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | $86,350 | 800 | +4.1% | 50% |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians | $78,680 | 11,300 | +4.0% | 13% |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | $63,980 | 16,500 | +5.8% | 10% |
| Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary | $61,490 | 8,800 | +0.7% | 49% |
| Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians | $52,080 | 3,700 | +11.0% | 12% |
| Agricultural equipment operators | $42,580 | 10,500 | +7.7% | 0% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Agricultural Mechanization at Purdue University-Main Campus?
This program scores 69/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 68 (optimistic) to 68 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Agricultural Mechanization career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Agricultural Mechanization graduates retain 6 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $525,282 (pessimistic) to $696,713 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Agricultural Mechanization graduates?
The career paths mapped to Agricultural Mechanization have roughly 51,600 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Agricultural Mechanization at Purdue University-Main Campus worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 15.3x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 13.1x. 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.