ROI Major

Specialized Sales, Merchandising, and Marketing Operations at Hocking Technical College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.19

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Specialized Sales, Merchandising, and Marketing Operations degree from Hocking Technical College earn a median salary of $43,140 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,880. The degree typically pays for itself in 23.4 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$31,171

Typical Career

$43,140

Top Performers

$58,227

Estimated break-even: 23.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$288

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,595. Most students can comfortably afford about a $288 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x 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, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 36.2%
Public Administration 12.6%
Retail Trade 7.5%

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

$47,880

Nominal: $43,140 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).

23.4 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

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 $23,177 $30,584 $42,596
5 Years After Graduation $31,171 $43,140 $58,227
10 Years After Graduation $34,978 $48,325 $68,838

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 $43,140 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)
= $43,140 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $47,880 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Specialized Sales, Merchandising, and Marketing Operations program at Hocking Technical College can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $30,584, which increases to $43,140 five years later, and reaches $48,325 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $47,880.13, reflecting the program's competitive position in the job market, especially considering Ohio's cost of living index of 0.901 compared to the national average.

The program primarily leads graduates into the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with a significant majority (88.9%) entering this field. This concentration indicates a strong alignment with industry demand, which can enhance job stability and growth potential. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 23.4 years, suggesting that while the program offers a viable career path, the return on investment may take considerable time to materialize. Overall, students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their educational and career choices.

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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.