ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Jefferson Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Jefferson Community College earn a median salary of $85,166 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $64,520. The degree typically pays for itself in 4 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$67,570

Typical Career

$85,166

Top Performers

$98,721

Estimated break-even: 4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$568

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,097. Most students can comfortably afford about a $568 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x 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, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 28.6%
Educational Services 11.6%
Retail Trade 11.3%

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

$64,520

Nominal: $85,166 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).

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 $57,651 $72,960 $85,013
5 Years After Graduation $67,570 $85,166 $98,721
10 Years After Graduation $73,228 $92,815 $108,603

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 $85,166 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)
= $85,166 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $64,520 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Jefferson Community College's nursing programs can expect a positive earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $72,960, increasing to $85,166 after five years and reaching $92,815 after a decade. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $64,519.7, reflecting the cost of living in New York, where the COL index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0. This indicates that while nominal earnings are strong, the real value of those earnings may be impacted by higher living costs.

The primary industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 28.6% of employment, followed by Educational Services at 12.5%. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a nursing career versus a high school-only path is approximately four years, suggesting that the investment in education can yield a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, the combination of solid earnings potential and diverse employment opportunities in health-related fields supports a positive career outlook for students in these nursing programs.

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See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Jefferson Community 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.