Culinary Arts and Related Services at Delgado Community College
LA · Associate's Degree · CIP 12.05
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Culinary Arts and Related Services degree from Delgado Community College earn a median salary of $46,940 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,856. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.6 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
$34,840
Typical Career
$46,940
Top Performers
$58,197
Estimated break-even: 12.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$313
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,912. Most students can comfortably afford about a $313 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, 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
$50,856
Nominal: $46,940 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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 | $27,525 | $36,097 | $46,584 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $34,840 | $46,940 | $58,197 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $41,695 | $61,167 | $83,243 |
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 $46,940 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,940 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230)
= $50,856 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 47.9% of placements, followed closely by another segment within the same sector at 44.3%, and Retail Trade at 10.1%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 22.5 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment. While the earnings potential is promising, students should weigh the time commitment and industry alignment when considering their career paths.
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Other Degrees at Delgado 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.