Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Niagara County Community College
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.08
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degree from Niagara County Community College earn a median salary of $43,452 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $32,918. The degree typically pays for itself in 20.1 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
$35,145
Typical Career
$43,452
Top Performers
$54,485
Estimated break-even: 20.1 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$290
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,621. Most students can comfortably afford about a $290 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 New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Manufacturing.
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
$32,918
Nominal: $43,452 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 | $27,961 | $36,519 | $44,368 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $35,145 | $43,452 | $54,485 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $34,707 | $49,482 | $64,798 |
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 $43,452 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)
= $43,452 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $32,918 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 37.6% and 31.8% of placements, followed by Educational Services at 9.8%. The estimated break-even point for those pursuing this program versus a high-school-only path is approximately 20.1 years. This extended break-even period suggests that while the program can lead to stable employment in growing sectors, students should carefully consider the long-term return on investment relative to their financial commitments during and after their education.
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See how the Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degree at Niagara County 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.