Legal Support Services at Dutchess Community College
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 22.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Legal Support Services degree from Dutchess Community College earn a median salary of $50,153 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $37,995. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.2 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
$37,454
Typical Career
$50,153
Top Performers
$66,552
Estimated break-even: 12.2 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$334
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,179. Most students can comfortably afford about a $334 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 New York buys what costs $1.32 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
$37,995
Nominal: $50,153 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% lower 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 | $28,825 | $41,559 | $56,298 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,454 | $50,153 | $66,552 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $46,321 | $57,619 | $76,644 |
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 $50,153 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,153 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $37,995 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program's graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 34.9% of employment, followed by a significant 27.1% in the same sector, and 14.5% in Educational Services. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.3 years, suggesting that while the investment in education may take over a decade to recoup, the potential for higher earnings in stable industries offers a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing a career in legal support services.
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Other Degrees at Dutchess 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.