1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Cal Poly Maritime Academy](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Cal Poly Maritime Academy Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/)[Cost & aid](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/admissions/)[Majors](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Cal Poly Maritime Academy graduates earn? The reported median is $108,757 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $53,116 as its benchmark; the difference is $55,641 per year. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $108,757 four years after completion. That median sits in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median lands $55,641 above the $53,116 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $37,803 more than the model expects for similar students. That result falls in the 99th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,214. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $34,589. Within the measured factors, the STEM element adds $4,033. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $69,450 on the downside to $126,355 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the upper end, Mechanical Engineering graduates earn $126,395 four years after completion, and Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $126,209. The largest program, Marine Transportation, reports $117,176. An estimated 15.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $108,757 **Rank for difference from expectations** 99th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Cal Poly Maritime Academy reported median** $108,757 **Peer schools comparable schools · $55,641 below Cal Poly Maritime Academy** $53,116 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $37,803 below Cal Poly Maritime Academy** $70,954 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $69,450 to $126,355, around the reported median of $108,757. Compare the lower scenario with [Cal Poly Maritime Academy borrowing and monthly payments](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $69,450 **Median · reported** $108,757 **Higher estimate** $126,355 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Cal Poly Maritime Academy graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Cal Poly Maritime Academy graduates’ reported earnings are $37,803 above that expectation, the 99th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Cal Poly Maritime Academy caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,214 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$34,589 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$37,803 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Cal Poly Maritime Academy report the highest earnings? Cal Poly Maritime Academy is a specialized campus, and the program-level earnings show that focus. Four years after completion, the highest-earning programs exceed the institutional median. Mechanical Engineering leads at $126,395 from 42 degrees awarded. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians is close behind at $126,209 with 35 degrees awarded. The largest program, Marine Transportation, awards 66 degrees and reports median earnings of $117,176. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #4 nationally within its field. Business Administration and Management is the more moderate-earning contrast, at $75,574 and 35 degrees awarded, with a national rank of #122. Transportation & Materials Moving accounts for 30.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Engineering Technologies at 23.4% and Engineering at 19.6%. The university has 4 nationally ranked programs. Marine Transportation is the largest single program, with 66 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #4 nationally in its field and #1 in California, with median earnings of $117,176 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management, the third-largest program, has 35 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #122 nationally in its field and #25 in California, with median earnings of $75,574 four years after completion. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Mechanical Engineering** $126,395 **Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians** $126,209 **Marine Transportation** $117,176 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $75,574 [Explore Cal Poly Maritime Academy program cohorts and field ranks](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $69,450, a typical outcome of $108,757, and an upside of $126,355. The spread reflects real variation by field. Mechanical Engineering graduates reach $126,395 at the high end, while Business Administration and Management sits at $75,574 among the largest programs. Cal Poly Maritime Academy graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $108,757 four years after completion. This is $55,641 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The figure comes from an earnings cohort of 298 completers. That median sits at the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $37,803 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $69,450 on the downside to $126,355 on the upside, while the typical scenario is $108,757. An estimated 15.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).