Program Payoff

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana. 20 certificate and associate programs, public. 20 of them report what graduates earn; for the rest, the figure below is what the occupation pays in Montana.

ProgramCredentialMedian debtGraduates earnThe occupation pays
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree $42,123 (12) $65,750
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Precision Metal Working Undergraduate certificate $33,459 (17) $55,610
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Undergraduate certificate $29,685 (14) $46,820
Medical Assistants
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate's degree $12,000 $26,121 (17) $77,550
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Accounting and Related Services Undergraduate certificate $25,967 (12) $47,270
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Design and Applied Arts Associate's degree $18,006 not published $56,890
Graphic Designers
Air Transportation Associate's degree not published $103,690
Commercial Pilots
Business Administration, Management and Operations Undergraduate certificate not published $91,380
General and Operations Managers
Carpenters Undergraduate certificate not published $76,910
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Undergraduate certificate not published $60,970
Surgical Technologists
Culinary Arts and Related Services Associate's degree not published $38,060
Cooks, Restaurant
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $65,730
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Undergraduate certificate not published $48,360
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate's degree not published $48,360
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
Health and Medical Administrative Services Undergraduate certificate not published $43,740
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) Undergraduate certificate not published $60,850
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) Associate's degree not published $60,850
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Homeland Security Undergraduate certificate not published $110,470
Managers, All Other
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Undergraduate certificate not published $77,550
Postsecondary Teachers, All Other
Security Science and Technology Associate's degree not published $75,810
Accountants and Auditors

"Graduates earn" is the median two years after completing, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10; the number in brackets is how many graduates it covers. A dash means the Department has not published a figure — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates — and never that the figure is zero. "The occupation pays" is the state median for the occupation the program leads to, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, and describes everyone in that job rather than graduates of this school.