Teaching Assistants/Aides at Orange County Community College
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 13.15
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Teaching Assistants/Aides degree from Orange County Community College earn a median salary of $28,969 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $21,946. The degree typically pays for itself in 520.3 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
$24,438
Typical Career
$28,969
Top Performers
$34,513
Estimated break-even: 520.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$193
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,414. Most students can comfortably afford about a $193 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 0.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x 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: Educational Services, Finance & Insurance, 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
$21,946
Nominal: $28,969 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 | $21,804 | $26,154 | $31,694 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $24,438 | $28,969 | $34,513 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $29,458 | $39,242 | $59,848 |
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 $28,969 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)
= $28,969 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $21,946 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance (37.0%), Educational Services (22.1%), and Finance & Insurance (10.3%) sectors. Despite the potential for steady income growth, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 520.3 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment that may not be favorable. This analysis indicates that while there are opportunities in various industries, the financial benefits may take considerable time to materialize, warranting careful consideration for prospective students.
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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.