Communications Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $36,451 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $23,273 and $53,505. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Communications Technologies/Technicians as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Communications Tech and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Communications Technologies/Technicians is a focused area of study within Communications Tech. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $36,451 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 55 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 990 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$19,859
Median Earnings · 4yr
$36,451
Colleges Offering
55
Graduates / Year
990
Avg Net Price / yr
$17,316
How Much Do Communications Technologies/Technicians Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Communications Technologies/Technicians, a typical graduate earns $36,451, significantly below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $23,273 and $53,505, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $19,859 at one year out to $36,451 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
$36,451
4-Year National Median
Significantly below average. Graduate credentials or high-demand roles can raise this considerably.
$39,273
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Communications Technologies/Technicians graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
$23,27325th pct.
$36,451Median
$53,50575th pct.
Is the Cost Worth It?
At median 4-year earnings of $36,451 and an estimated $69,264 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 10.7 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.
Based on outcomes from 14 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 990 students who complete Communications Technologies/Technicians programs each year, the majority (55%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
27%55%
Bachelor's55%
Associate's27%
Certificate10%
What Can You Do With a Communications Technologies/Technicians Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Communications Technologies/Technicians graduates show up in 3 different occupations, and Film & Video Editor pays the most at $75,420/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingActive Learning
Day-to-day responsibilities
Edit moving images on film, video, or other media. May work with a producer or director to organize images for final production. May edit or synchronize soundtracks with images.
Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly running story.
Active ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingOperation and Control
Day-to-day responsibilities
Assemble and operate equipment to record, synchronize, mix, edit, or reproduce sound, including music, voices, or sound effects, for theater, video, film, television, podcasts, sporting events, and other productions.
Confer with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production, such as a musical recording or a film.
Regulate volume level and sound quality during recording sessions, using control consoles.
Record speech, music, and other sounds on recording media, using recording equipment.
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs. Control and adjust incoming and outgoing broadcast signals to regulate sound volume, signal strength, and signal clarity. Operate satellite, microwave, or other transmitter equipment to broadcast radio or television programs.
Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible.
Monitor and log transmitter readings.
Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission.
Top Colleges for Communications Technologies/Technicians
Not sure where to study Communications Technologies/Technicians? These 19 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Communications Technologies/Technicians graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Communications Tech Programs
Communications Technologies/Technicians is not the only path through Communications Tech: 3 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Communications Technologies/Technicians program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Communications Technologies/Technicians carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 2 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.
PROS
Strong salary growthMedian earnings climb from $19,859 at graduation to $36,451 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Flexible credential pathsPrograms are available from certificate and associate levels through bachelor's and graduate degrees, giving students real options based on timeline and goals.
CONS
Below-average earningsFour-year median of $36,451 falls below the national median for bachelor's degree holders.
Declining roles in some areas2 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
Long earnings breakevenAt median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 10.7 years.
High earnings varianceGap between 25th ($23,273) and 75th ($53,505) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.
How much do Communications Technologies/Technicians graduates earn?
$36,451 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $23,273 and $53,505, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Communications Technologies/Technicians degree?
$19,859 in the first year out. That grows to $36,451 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Communications Technologies/Technicians degree?
Film & Video Editor is one path, and it pays a median of $75,420 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Communications Technologies/Technicians program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Communications Technologies/Technicians bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Communications Technologies/Technicians?
55 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Communications Technologies/Technicians degree worth it?
$36,451 median earnings four years out against $17,316 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Communications Technologies/Technicians and Communications Tech?
Communications Technologies/Technicians is the narrower of the two: Communications Tech covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Communications Technologies/Technicians-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Communications Technologies/Technicians graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Communications Technologies/Technicians graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Communications Technologies/Technicians graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average -0.8% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Film & Video Editor is among the strongest-growth roles at +3.7%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Communications Tech Programs
Other programs in Communications Tech. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
