Is trade school worth it? What federal earnings and debt data show

Across 21,036 certificate and associate programs in 19 trade and allied-health fields, the typical program reports first-year earnings of $39,247 and median borrower debt of $11,833 (medians of program-level figures). That average hides large differences by field, so here is the comparison.

Earnings versus debt, by field

In this table, Diesel & Heavy Equipment shows the highest earnings per dollar of median borrower debt (6.6) and Medical Billing, Coding & Health Administration the lowest (2.3). Treat the ratio as a screening tool: it ignores students who borrowed nothing, regional pay differences and the cost of tools or exams.

What these numbers can and cannot tell you

• They describe past graduates. Earnings are medians for completers working and not enrolled one year after finishing; they do not predict your outcome.
• Debt covers borrowers only. A low debt figure can hide a high sticker price if students pay with grants or savings; check the school's net price.
• Small programs are hidden. The Department suppresses figures for programs with few graduates, so missing data is common and is not a sign of a bad program.
• Completion matters. Students who do not finish rarely get the earnings of completers. Compare the school's completion rate on its page.

How to use this

Pick a field, open the state page, shortlist three schools and compare earnings, debt, completion and net price. Then verify licensing and certification requirements with your state board and ask each school the questions on its field page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study and Institution files (release dated 10/15/2026). Earnings are median annual earnings of completers working and not enrolled one year after finishing; debt is median federal loan debt of borrowers; both describe past cohorts and small programs are suppressed by the Department. See our methodology.