Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA · Public · Associate Degree

a smaller institution with 2,528 students in Waterloo, IA.

Program Analysis

Hawkeye Community College's Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies graduates start at $47,762/yr — above the $38,662 national average, though not by a wide margin.

Every dollar of tuition returns an estimated 40.8x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies programs nationally.

AI disruption models show minimal impact on this program's career paths. The gap between optimistic and pessimistic scenarios is just 3% — this trade's hands-on core resists automation.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $12,000 in median debt clears fast against $47,762 in annual earnings.

At #157 of 409 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies programs, Hawkeye Community College scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.

Five-year earnings of $51,252 are relatively flat compared to the $47,762 starting salary — typical of trades with stable but capped salary bands.

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies offers 64 registered apprenticeship pathways — an unusually broad set of earn-while-you-learn alternatives to the classroom track.

64 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
64
Low End
64
Score
65
High End
Earnings $47,762/yr (24% vs median)
AI-Proof AI-Proof (86% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (214,000 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$518K
1.8% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
41.0x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
19 of 19
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$12,616
Out-of-state: $13,196
Median Debt at Graduation
$12,000
3.0 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$51,252
7% growth from Year 1

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment $82,730 +6.1% 76%
Avionics technicians $81,390 +8.2% 76%
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians $79,830 +8.1% 68%
Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
$82,730
+6.1% growth 76% AI-proof
Avionics technicians
$81,390
+8.2% growth 76% AI-proof
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
$79,830
+8.1% growth 68% AI-proof

View all 19 career paths with full salary data →

About Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Careers

Your career starts on the shop floor, grabbing a diagnostic scanner to pinpoint engine trouble or getting your hands dirty with a wrench during a brake job. As an automotive service technician, your day involves solving complex mechanical and electrical puzzles in a busy garage to get cars safely back on the road. You could also specialize in heavy-duty vehicles, working on the powerful diesel engines that keep our country’s trucks and buses running.

Read the full Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies career guide →

Compare & Explore

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Overview

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Other Schools

Other Majors at Hawkeye Community College

Trade Certificate vs. Bachelor's Degree

Weigh shorter time-to-career against higher earning ceilings. The numbers tell the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Hawkeye Community College?
At 64/100, Hawkeye Community College's Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.
How safe is Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies from automation?
Highly resilient. Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies careers are fundamentally hands-on — they require physical presence and manual skill that AI cannot replicate. Graduates retain 19 of 19 viable career paths even under conservative assumptions.
How affordable is Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Hawkeye Community College?
Median debt of just $12,000 against $47,762/yr in starting salary means graduates can clear their loans in under 3 months. This is one of the more affordable paths in our dataset.
Can I learn Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies through an apprenticeship instead?
There are 64 registered apprenticeships connected to Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies occupations. The earn-while-you-learn model means no tuition debt and immediate income, though the training period is typically longer.
Is there demand for Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies workers?
The career paths mapped to Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies have roughly 214,000 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Trade careers in this field benefit from consistent replacement demand as workers retire.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →