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Air Transportation at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public · Associate Degree
49 /100
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
53
Strong Growth
49
Base Case
43
Conservative
Earnings $39,956/yr (-7% vs median)
AI-Proof Resilient (67% shielded)
Job Market Large (60,400 openings/yr)

Future-Proof Earnings

Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Air Transportation graduates.

Strong Growth
Full Stability		 Base Case
Moderate Changes		 Conservative
Max Disruption
10-Year Earnings $1,032K $587K $333K
Earnings Multiple 38.9x 22.1x 12.6x
Viable Career Paths 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6
TradeSchoolWorth Score 53 49 43

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.

Program Tuition
$26,488
Median Debt at Graduation
$20,500
6.2 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$82,555
107% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Air Transportation graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 60,400 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI-Proof
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers $226,600 11,700 +3.9% 65%
Air traffic controllers $144,580 2,200 +1.2% 66%
Commercial pilots $122,670 6,600 +5.1% 76%
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers $102,010 18,500 +6.1% 51%
Flight attendants $67,130 19,800 +9.2% 83%
Airfield operations specialists $56,750 1,600 +4.2% 63%

Compare & Explore

Air Transportation Overview

View all 10 schools offering Air Transportation →

Air Transportation at Other Schools

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach ($66,957) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide ($66,957) Central Oregon Community College ($48,594) Community College of Beaver County ($45,028) Northwestern Michigan College ($37,988) Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology ($35,377) Texas State Technical College ($35,008) Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology ($32,339)

Other Majors at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services ($40,034)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Air Transportation at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale?
This program scores 49/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 43 (conservative) to 53 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Air Transportation?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Air Transportation graduates retain 6 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $333,231 (conservative) to $1,031,690 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Air Transportation graduates?
The career paths mapped to Air Transportation have roughly 60,400 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Air Transportation at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 22.1x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 12.6x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2026.