Construction Trades, General at Saint Louis Community College
MO · Certificate Degree · CIP 46.00
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Construction Trades, General degree from Saint Louis Community College earn a median salary of $84,962 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $95,249. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.9 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
$53,202
Typical Career
$84,962
Top Performers
$117,625
Estimated break-even: 3.9 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$566
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,080. Most students can comfortably afford about a $566 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 2.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Retail Trade.
Where Certificate 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
$95,249
Nominal: $84,962 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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 | $49,308 | $74,729 | $138,999 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $53,202 | $84,962 | $117,625 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $55,464 | $100,994 | $142,703 |
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 $84,962 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $84,962 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920)
= $95,249 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, with 37.3% entering this field, followed by 30.4% and 16.9% in similar sectors. This trend suggests a strong alignment between the skills acquired in the Construction Trades program and the demands of these industries. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 3.9 years compared to a high school-only path, the overall return on investment for students pursuing this program appears favorable, supporting a strategic career choice in the construction trades.
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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.