Accounting and Related Services at Hudson Valley Community College
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Hudson Valley Community College earn a median salary of $53,444 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,488. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.8 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
$37,156
Typical Career
$53,444
Top Performers
$70,402
Estimated break-even: 9.8 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$356
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,454. Most students can comfortably afford about a $356 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Public Administration, Professional, Scientific & Technical 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
$40,488
Nominal: $53,444 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 | $32,349 | $45,260 | $59,673 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,156 | $53,444 | $70,402 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $50,129 | $64,798 | $83,557 |
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 $53,444 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)
= $53,444 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $40,488 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 37.8% of employment, followed by Public Administration at 19.6%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high school-only path is approximately 9.8 years. This indicates that while the initial investment in education may take nearly a decade to recoup, the long-term earning potential and industry demand suggest a favorable return on investment for those entering the accounting field.
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Other Degrees at Hudson Valley 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.