Legal Support Services at Cuyahoga Community College
OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 22.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Legal Support Services degree from Cuyahoga Community College earn a median salary of $51,463 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,118. The degree typically pays for itself in 11 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
$40,650
Typical Career
$51,463
Top Performers
$63,769
Estimated break-even: 11 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$343
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,289. Most students can comfortably afford about a $343 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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
$57,118
Nominal: $51,463 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 | $31,827 | $43,047 | $55,406 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $40,650 | $51,463 | $63,769 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $42,016 | $60,837 | $75,902 |
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 $51,463 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)
= $51,463 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010)
= $57,118 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 51.9% employed in this field one year post-graduation. This trend continues with 44.8% and 31.7% remaining in similar industries over subsequent years. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 9.5 years, suggesting that while the investment in education may take time to recoup, the long-term financial benefits and job stability in these growing sectors can provide a favorable return on investment.
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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.