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Design Engineering Technologies at Valencia College

Orlando, FL · Public · Associate Degree · Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
60 /100
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
63
Strong Growth
60
Base Case
56
Conservative
Earnings $45,701/yr (9% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (60% shielded)
Job Market Medium (16,300 openings/yr)

Future-Proof Earnings

Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Design Engineering Technologies graduates.

Strong Growth
Full Stability		 Base Case
Moderate Changes		 Conservative
Max Disruption
10-Year Earnings $524K $401K $325K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 105.9x 81.0x 65.7x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 27.9x 21.3x 17.3x
Viable Career Paths 4 of 4 4 of 4 3 of 4
TradeSchoolWorth Score 63 60 56

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

Program Tuition (In-State)
$4,948
Out-of-state: $18,766

Career Paths

Where Design Engineering Technologies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 16,300 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI-Proof
Electrical and electronics drafters $73,720 1,700 -5.6% 43%
Mechanical drafters $68,510 3,300 -6.5% 50%
Architectural and civil drafters $64,280 10,000 +4.1% 46%
Drafters, all other $62,010 1,300 -6.9% 100%

Compare & Explore

Design Engineering Technologies Overview

View all 45 schools offering Design Engineering Technologies →

Design Engineering Technologies at Other Schools

Utah Valley University ($55,893) Dunwoody College of Technology ($55,512) Portland Community College ($54,198) Northcentral Technical College ($53,105) Austin Community College District ($50,584) Grand Rapids Community College ($49,865) State Technical College of Missouri ($49,789) Hennepin Technical College ($49,539)

Other Majors at Valencia College

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($70,422) Dental Support Services and Allied Professions ($57,535) Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions ($56,945) Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management ($45,819) Fire Protection ($45,657) Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($40,388) Accounting and Related Services ($37,209) Computer Programming ($36,601)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Design Engineering Technologies at Valencia College?
This program scores 60/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 56 (conservative) to 63 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Design Engineering Technologies?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Design Engineering Technologies graduates retain 4 of 4 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $325,056 (conservative) to $523,910 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Design Engineering Technologies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Design Engineering Technologies have roughly 16,300 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Design Engineering Technologies at Valencia College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 81.0x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 65.7x. 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.