Business/Commerce, General at Horry - Georgetown Technical College
SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Business/Commerce, General degree from Horry - Georgetown Technical College earn a median salary of $38,967 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,932. The degree typically pays for itself in 34 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
$28,931
Typical Career
$38,967
Top Performers
$50,138
Estimated break-even: 34 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$260
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,247. Most students can comfortably afford about a $260 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Accommodation & Food 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
$40,932
Nominal: $38,967 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% 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 | $25,384 | $33,171 | $43,212 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $28,931 | $38,967 | $50,138 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $33,519 | $45,030 | $60,895 |
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 $38,967 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $38,967 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520)
= $40,932 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 are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, with 60.3% of graduates entering this field. This trend suggests a strong alignment between the program and the job market's needs. However, the estimated break-even point for those pursuing this degree versus a high school-only path exceeds ten years, indicating that while there are opportunities for growth, the return on investment may take considerable time to materialize. Overall, prospective students should weigh the long-term financial implications against the immediate job market opportunities in their chosen field.
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See how the Business/Commerce, General degree at Horry - Georgetown Technical College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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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.