Certificate (under 1 year)+51% vs national median2,122 grads tracked
Construction Trades at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College
Ranked 4th of 75 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Construction Trades by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$46,382
middle 50%: $41,501 – $52,142
Median · 5 years out
$105,552
middle 50%: $85,882 – $120,414
Median · 10 years out
n/a
not enough graduates to report
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Construction Trades (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Construction Trades certificate holders at Richard J. Daley College earn $46k initially. Median earnings jump to $106k by year five.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
4.8 yrs
≈ $5,804 total interest
Same major at other universities
Richland Community College
$129,378 · 5 yrs out
Saint Paul College - A Community & Technical College
$109,668 · 5 yrs out
Texas State Technical College
$109,537 · 5 yrs out
Trinidad State College
$101,061 · 5 yrs out
Portland Community College
$99,460 · 5 yrs out
Lee College
$98,792 · 5 yrs out
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
$91,460 · 5 yrs out
Brazosport College
$89,427 · 5 yrs out
Lamar Institute of Technology
$89,305 · 5 yrs out
South Plains College
$86,981 · 5 yrs out
North Hennepin Community College
$81,941 · 5 yrs out
North Lake College
$81,381 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J. Daley College
Construction Trades (Certificate)
$115,381 · 5 yrs out
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Certificate)
$115,381 · 5 yrs out
Construction Trades (Associate)
$109,537 · 5 yrs out
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Associate)
$109,537 · 5 yrs out
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Certificate)
$105,552 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$83,433 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$83,433 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$65,986 · 5 yrs out
Real Estate (Certificate)
$64,930 · 5 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate)
$55,935 · 5 yrs out
Information Science/Studies (Certificate)
$54,615 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Associate)
$52,821 · 5 yrs out
Related fields of study
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection
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