Building/Construction Finishing at Michigan Career and Technical Institute

Plainwell, MI · Public · Certificate · Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection

with a smaller student body of 118 in Plainwell, MI.

Program Analysis

At $23,493 per year, Building/Construction Finishing graduates from Michigan Career and Technical Institute earn below the $36,481 national average. Lower costs or geographic factors may offset the earnings gap.

Every dollar of tuition returns an estimated 32.7x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Building/Construction Finishing programs nationally.

AI disruption models show minimal impact on this program's career paths. The gap between optimistic and pessimistic scenarios is just 10% — this trade's hands-on core resists automation.

Ranked #38 of 44 Building/Construction Finishing programs, Michigan Career and Technical Institute falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

Five-year earnings of $26,772 are relatively flat compared to the $23,493 starting salary — typical of trades with stable but capped salary bands.

Building/Construction Finishing offers 60 registered apprenticeship pathways — an unusually broad set of earn-while-you-learn alternatives to the classroom track.

56 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
55
Low End
56
Score
57
High End
Earnings $23,493/yr (-36% vs median)
AI-Proof AI-Proof (86% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (392,900 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$273K
3.3% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
32.9x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
22 of 22
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$8,300
Out-of-state: $12,048
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$26,772
14% growth from Year 1

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Building/Construction Finishing graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Facilities managers $104,690 +3.8% 52%
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers $78,690 +5.3% 57%
Construction and building inspectors $72,120 -0.8% 57%
Facilities managers
$104,690
+3.8% growth 52% AI-proof
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
$78,690
+5.3% growth 57% AI-proof
Construction and building inspectors
$72,120
-0.8% growth 57% AI-proof

View all 22 career paths with full salary data →

About Building/Construction Finishing Careers

You’ll start by solving tangible problems on active job sites. As a maintenance worker or painter, your day involves hands-on tasks: troubleshooting a building’s electrical systems with a multimeter, prepping surfaces, or applying the final coats of paint that make a project complete. With experience, you can advance to a First-Line Supervisor role. Here, your focus shifts from using tools to managing teams, coordinating schedules from blueprints, and ensuring job site safety and quality standards are met.

Read the full Building/Construction Finishing career guide →

Compare & Explore

Building/Construction Finishing Overview

Building/Construction Finishing at Other Schools

Other Majors at Michigan Career and Technical Institute

How Does a Bachelor's Degree Compare?

Four-year programs take longer but may unlock different career trajectories. See the data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Michigan Career and Technical Institute's Building/Construction Finishing program score?
At 56/100, the score looks reasonable — but Building/Construction Finishing is a high-scoring trade overall. Compared to peers, this program's earnings and ROI fall below the median.
Will AI replace Building/Construction Finishing jobs?
Highly resilient. Building/Construction Finishing careers are fundamentally hands-on — they require physical presence and manual skill that AI cannot replicate. Graduates retain 22 of 22 viable career paths even under conservative assumptions.
Is Michigan Career and Technical Institute a good choice for Building/Construction Finishing despite lower starting pay?
First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.
Are there apprenticeship options for Building/Construction Finishing?
Building/Construction Finishing connects to 60 apprenticeship pathways. These DOL-registered programs combine structured training with paid employment — a strong alternative for students who prefer hands-on learning over classroom instruction.
How many job openings are there for Building/Construction Finishing graduates?
The career paths mapped to Building/Construction Finishing have roughly 392,900 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Trade careers in this field benefit from consistent replacement demand as workers retire.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →