Culinary Arts and Related Services at Kauai Community College
HI · Associate's Degree · CIP 12.05
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Culinary Arts and Related Services degree from Kauai Community College earn a median salary of $45,014 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in HI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $24,464. The degree typically pays for itself in 18.2 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
$33,189
Typical Career
$45,014
Top Performers
$59,529
Estimated break-even: 18.2 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$300
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,751. Most students can comfortably afford about a $300 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Hawaii buys what costs $1.84 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Accommodation & Food Services, Educational 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
$24,464
Nominal: $45,014 in Hawaii (COL 184.0% of national avg) · 45.7% 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 | $26,804 | $36,091 | $46,471 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $33,189 | $45,014 | $59,529 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $37,935 | $50,767 | $70,184 |
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 $45,014 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in HI, which has a cost-of-living index of 184.0% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $45,014 × (1.0 ÷ 1.8400)
= $24,464 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 33.7% of employment, followed by another segment in the same field at 27.9%, and Accommodation & Food Services at 23.4%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 30.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this program may be considered moderate. Students should weigh the long-term financial implications against their career aspirations and the local job market.
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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.