ROI Major

Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 at Niagara County Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.39

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 degree from Niagara County Community College earn a median salary of $53,435 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,481. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.1 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$39,950

Typical Career

$53,435

Top Performers

$72,442

Estimated break-even: 11.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$356

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,453. 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, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.6%
Educational Services 9.8%
Retail Trade 7.9%

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

$40,481

Nominal: $53,435 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).

11.1 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 $30,257 $40,016 $49,531
5 Years After Graduation $39,950 $53,435 $72,442
10 Years After Graduation $45,808 $59,971 $84,484

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 $53,435 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)
= $53,435 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $40,481 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Health Professions and Related Programs at Niagara County Community College can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $40,016, increasing to $53,435 five years post-graduation, and reaching $59,971 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $40,481.06, indicating that while graduates may face a higher cost of living in New York (COL index of 1.32), their earnings still reflect a positive growth pattern over time.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 37.6% and 31.8% of graduates finding positions in this industry, along with 9.8% in Educational Services. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 11.1 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing these programs. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Health Professions and Related Programs can lead to a solid career path with promising financial returns.

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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.