Mechanical Engineeringat University of Hawaii at Manoa
Graduates earn $53,182/yr in their first year — about 25.0% below the national Mechanical Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $969K; scenarios range from $808K to $1,026K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Hawaii at Manoa
Starting salaries of $53,182/yr fall 25% below the $70,527 national median for Mechanical Engineering. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 19.9x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 53% task exposure — and the 21% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $24,629 in median debt against $53,182 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
At #186 out of 320 programs, University of Hawaii at Manoa's financial outcomes for Mechanical Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
Earnings growth from $53,182 to $98,092 over five years (84% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Hawaii at Manoa's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Mechanical Engineering
How University of Hawaii at Manoa stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Hawaii at Manoa
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Hawaii at Manoa, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Mechanical Engineering at University of Hawaii at Manoa
How does University of Hawaii at Manoa's Mechanical Engineering program score?
A score of 69/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Hawaii at Manoa trails the majority of Mechanical Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Mechanical Engineering to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Mechanical Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 53% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why are Mechanical Engineering earnings lower at University of Hawaii at Manoa?
Lower starting pay at University of Hawaii at Manoa may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.