General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations at Cuyahoga Community College
OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.18
Executive Summary
Graduates with a General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations degree from Cuyahoga Community College earn a median salary of $49,399 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,827. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.7 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$37,041
Typical Career
$49,399
Top Performers
$64,930
Estimated break-even: 12.7 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$329
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,117. Most students can comfortably afford about a $329 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$54,827
Nominal: $49,399 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% higher purchasing power
10-Year Earnings Curve
Break-Even Timeline
How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).
Total Investment
$155,168
4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost
HS Graduate Baseline
$38,792/yr
BLS 2023 median, HS diploma
View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
| Timeframe | 25th Pct. | Median (50th) | 75th Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year After Graduation | $26,921 | $37,915 | $48,715 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,041 | $49,399 | $64,930 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $45,244 | $58,150 | $74,086 |
Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).
How We Calculate Purchasing Power
The median salary of $49,399 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $49,399 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010)
= $54,827 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program's graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 51.9% in the first year, 44.8% after five years, and 31.7% after ten years. This trend indicates a strong alignment with growing industries, potentially enhancing job security and career advancement opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 12.7 years, suggesting that the investment in this educational path may yield a favorable return over time, particularly in stable and expanding sectors.
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See how the General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations degree at Cuyahoga Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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Other Degrees at Cuyahoga Community College
Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.