Workforce Preparation and Employment Outcomes
Median Annual Salary: Wisconsin
What Is Measured?
Median salary for Wisconsin Technical College graduates
Who Is Counted?
2010 Wisconsin Technical College graduates who were in the labor force six months after graduating
What It Tells Us
The median salary for 2010 Wisconsin Technical College graduates employed within six months of graduating was $31,200.
Why It's Important
Many students enroll in community colleges to gain new skills so that they can improve their employment prospects. Numerous studies have found that median earnings for individuals with associate degrees are higher than median earnings for high school graduates. Even individuals who attend community college but do not complete a degree have higher earnings than those whose education stops at high school. Fewer studies have examined vocational certificates at the national level, but their results are consistent with the research on associate degrees, with certificate recipients showing a substantial advantage in earnings.
About the Data
Employed: those working for pay or profit, either full time or part time, at the time of the survey.
Median salary: calculated based on respondents who are employed full time in a job related to their training. Full-time employment is defined as 35 or more hours per week.
The Wisconsin Technical College System Graduate Follow-Up Survey annually collects data regarding the activities and opinions of students approximately six months after their graduation. There were 25,712 graduates in 2010, and 17,498 respondents to the survey, for a response rate of 68 percent. Employment rates are based on the number of respondents to the survey.
Data Source
Wisconsin Technical College System. (2011). 2010 graduate follow-up report. Madison, WI: Author.