Certificate (1-2 years)-9% vs national median426 grads tracked
Construction Trades at Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Ranked 36th of 89 certificate (1-2 years) programs in Construction Trades by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$43,588
middle 50%: $30,656 – $57,584
Median · 5 years out
$63,170
middle 50%: $47,321 – $87,609
Median · 10 years out
$71,961
middle 50%: $50,710 – $101,931
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Construction Trades (certificate (1-2 years)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Construction Trades certificate recipients earn $44k in their first year. Median pay rises to $72k after a decade.
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
6.7 yrs
≈ $7,686 total interest
Same major at other universities
Brightpoint Community College
$70,298 · 5 yrs out
Emily Griffith Technical College
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Southwestern Illinois College
$68,650 · 5 yrs out
Red Rocks Community College
$67,746 · 5 yrs out
Erie Community College
$66,546 · 5 yrs out
Northshore Technical Community College
$66,474 · 5 yrs out
L. E. Fletcher Technical Community College
$62,818 · 5 yrs out
Tidewater Community College
$61,630 · 5 yrs out
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana - Region 5
$60,738 · 5 yrs out
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges -Frontier Community College
$60,508 · 5 yrs out
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana- Region 3
$60,363 · 5 yrs out
Century College
$59,848 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Associate)
$81,339 · 5 yrs out
Construction Trades (Associate)
$80,008 · 5 yrs out
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Certificate)
$73,677 · 5 yrs out
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields (Certificate)
$71,728 · 5 yrs out
Agricultural and Food Products Processing (Certificate)
$71,728 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$71,412 · 5 yrs out
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields (Associate)
$66,891 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Certificate)
$65,986 · 5 yrs out
Construction Trades (Certificate)
$65,835 · 5 yrs out
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Certificate)
$65,835 · 5 yrs out
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Certificate)
$64,916 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate)
$62,818 · 5 yrs out
Related fields of study
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection
Compare universities
Carpenters
Compare universities
Construction Trades, General
Compare universities
Construction Trades, Other
Compare universities
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers
Compare universities
Mason/Masonry
Compare universities