Culinary Arts and Related Services at Joliet Junior College
IL · Associate's Degree · CIP 12.05
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Culinary Arts and Related Services degree from Joliet Junior College earn a median salary of $44,398 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $48,364. The degree typically pays for itself in 16 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
$32,685
Typical Career
$44,398
Top Performers
$56,937
Estimated break-even: 16 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$296
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,700. Most students can comfortably afford about a $296 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 Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, 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
$48,364
Nominal: $44,398 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% 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 | $23,440 | $29,479 | $39,680 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $32,685 | $44,398 | $56,937 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $38,967 | $55,849 | $73,614 |
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 $44,398 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $44,398 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180)
= $48,364 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 sectors, which account for 55.5% of employment, followed by additional roles in the same industry at 27.4% and Manufacturing at 18.3%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 16 years when compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Culinary Arts and Related Services appears to be reasonable. This suggests that while the initial financial return may take time to materialize, the long-term career prospects and industry demand provide a solid foundation for future growth.
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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.