Business/Commerce, General at Northern Wyoming Community College District
WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Business/Commerce, General degree from Northern Wyoming Community College District earn a median salary of $50,412 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,148. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.8 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
$36,956
Typical Career
$50,412
Top Performers
$69,481
Estimated break-even: 13.8 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$336
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,201. Most students can comfortably afford about a $336 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 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
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
$54,148
Nominal: $50,412 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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 | $25,214 | $35,872 | $50,477 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $36,956 | $50,412 | $69,481 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $39,609 | $55,111 | $78,529 |
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 $50,412 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,412 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310)
= $54,148 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program prepares students for careers primarily in the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, which account for 40.3% and 38.1% of graduate placements, alongside opportunities in Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction at 13.7%. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for graduates appears favorable. This suggests that pursuing a degree in Business/Commerce can lead to substantial long-term financial benefits, particularly in the dominant industries within the region.
Compare with Another School
See how the Business/Commerce, General degree at Northern Wyoming Community College District 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.