Design and Applied Arts at Portland Community College
OR · Associate's Degree · CIP 50.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Design and Applied Arts degree from Portland Community College earn a median salary of $47,631 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $41,672. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.6 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
$36,019
Typical Career
$47,631
Top Performers
$61,373
Estimated break-even: 13.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$318
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,969. Most students can comfortably afford about a $318 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 Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, 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
$41,672
Nominal: $47,631 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% 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 | $25,699 | $35,966 | $49,475 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $36,019 | $47,631 | $61,373 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $40,956 | $57,208 | $77,215 |
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 $47,631 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,631 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430)
= $41,672 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 24.0% of placements, followed closely by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 22.5%, and Manufacturing at 16.4%. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree can be seen as favorable for those willing to commit to the educational requirements. Overall, while the initial earnings may not be high, the potential for growth and entry into stable industries offers a reasonable ROI for graduates.
Compare with Another School
See how the Design and Applied Arts degree at Portland Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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Other Degrees at Portland Community College
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.