Construction Engineering Technologies at Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, SD · Public · Associate Degree

with a smaller student body of 1,710 in Watertown, SD.

Program Analysis

At $75,253 per year, Construction Engineering Technologies graduates from Lake Area Technical College significantly outpace the $57,701 national average for this trade, reflecting strong employer demand for this program's graduates.

Every dollar of tuition returns an estimated 58.6x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Construction Engineering Technologies programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Construction Engineering Technologies's career paths, with 51% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 0% gap from the optimistic case.

The median debt load of $12,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios in vocational education.

This program is one of 6 schools offering Construction Engineering Technologies in our dataset — a specialized trade with limited comparison points.

64 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
60
Low End
64
Score
66
High End
Earnings $75,253/yr (30% vs median)
AI-Proof Exposed (49% shielded)
Job Market Large (69,200 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Year 1 Earnings
$75K
Reported median after graduation
Earnings Multiple
58.6x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
3 of 3
Occupations with strong AI resilience
Program Tuition
$13,436
Median Debt at Graduation
$12,000
1.9 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$65,335
Small cohort — data may not reflect typical outcomes

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Construction Engineering Technologies graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Construction managers $106,980 +8.7% 56%
Cost estimators $77,070 -4.2% 50%
Civil engineering technologists and technicians $64,200 +2.1% 41%
Construction managers
$106,980
+8.7% growth 56% AI-proof
Cost estimators
$77,070
-4.2% growth 50% AI-proof
Civil engineering technologists and technicians
$64,200
+2.1% growth 41% AI-proof

About Construction Engineering Technologies Careers

Your career begins with the blueprints and the budget. As a project coordinator or estimator, you’ll spend your days in a bustling office, using specialized software to analyze designs and calculate the precise material and labor costs for everything from a new hospital wing to a highway overpass. Or you might start in the field as a technician, using surveying equipment to lay out a job site and testing the quality of concrete and soil.

Read the full Construction Engineering Technologies career guide →

Compare & Explore

Construction Engineering Technologies Overview

Construction Engineering Technologies at Other Schools

Other Majors at Lake Area Technical College

How Does a Bachelor's Degree Compare?

Four-year programs take longer but may unlock different career trajectories. See the data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Construction Engineering Technologies at Lake Area Technical College?
A score of 64/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Construction Engineering Technologies field.
Should I worry about AI if I study Construction Engineering Technologies?
With 51% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $787,314 in decade earnings vs $787,314 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
What's the typical debt for Construction Engineering Technologies graduates from Lake Area Technical College?
At $12,000 in median debt, Construction Engineering Technologies graduates from Lake Area Technical College carry minimal financial burden. The debt-to-income ratio of 0.2x is well below the trade program average.
How many job openings are there for Construction Engineering Technologies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Construction Engineering Technologies have roughly 69,200 combined annual openings nationally, making this a 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 →