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Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies at Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians
75 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
75
Optimistic
75
Base Case
73
Pessimistic
Earnings $67,093/yr (8% vs median)
AI Risk Moderate (28% exposed)
Job Market Large (87,000 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $842K $692K $569K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 21.1x 17.3x 14.2x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.3x 6.0x 4.9x
Viable Career Paths 7 of 7 7 of 7 7 of 7
DegreeWorth Score 75 75 73

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
$19,500
3.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$81,374
21% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 87,000 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians $79,830 900 +8.1% 32%
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other $77,390 5,700 +1.5% 24%
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians $70,760 1,300 +1.1% 42%
Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians $68,730 3,200 0.0% 28%
Mechanical drafters $68,510 3,300 -6.5% 50%
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians $54,950 2,600 +6.0% 8%
Automotive service technicians and mechanics $49,670 70,000 +4.2% 8%

Compare & Explore

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies at Other Schools

California State University Maritime Academy ($98,661) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach ($93,433) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide ($93,433) Central Connecticut State University ($73,788) Metropolitan State University of Denver ($72,334) New England Institute of Technology ($70,916) Western New England University ($69,326) Rochester Institute of Technology ($69,261)

Other Majors at Purdue University-Main Campus

Computer Science ($94,786) Computer Engineering ($89,965) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($84,300) Industrial Engineering ($81,379) Chemical Engineering ($81,105) Mechanical Engineering ($80,374) Materials Engineering ($78,265) Construction Engineering ($76,966)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies at Purdue University-Main Campus?
This program scores 75/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 75 (optimistic) to 73 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies graduates retain 7 of 7 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $568,831 (pessimistic) to $841,633 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies have roughly 87,000 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies at Purdue University-Main Campus worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 17.3x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 14.2x. 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.