American Sign Language at El Paso Community College
TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 16.16
Executive Summary
Graduates with a American Sign Language degree from El Paso Community College earn a median salary of $44,669 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $48,501. The degree typically pays for itself in 18.7 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
$31,611
Typical Career
$44,669
Top Performers
$59,353
Estimated break-even: 18.7 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$298
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,722. Most students can comfortably afford about a $298 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.
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
$48,501
Nominal: $44,669 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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 | $24,227 | $32,231 | $43,047 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $31,611 | $44,669 | $59,353 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $37,041 | $51,223 | $64,402 |
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 $44,669 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $44,669 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210)
= $48,501 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 65.2% of them finding employment in this field. This concentration suggests a strong demand for American Sign Language skills in environments where communication with the deaf and hard-of-hearing populations is essential. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 31.5 years, indicating that while the career offers valuable opportunities, the return on investment may take considerable time to realize.
Compare with Another School
See how the American Sign Language degree at El Paso Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Ready to apply?
Start your application for American Sign Language at El Paso Community College.
Other Degrees at El Paso 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.