ROI Major

Health Professions and Related Programs, Other at Schenectady County Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.99

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health Professions and Related Programs, Other degree from Schenectady County Community College earn a median salary of $50,539 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $38,287. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.4 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

$32,801

Typical Career

$50,539

Top Performers

$77,248

Estimated break-even: 11.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$337

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,212. Most students can comfortably afford about a $337 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x 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, Public Administration, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.9%
Public Administration 8.5%
Educational Services 8.2%

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

$38,287

Nominal: $50,539 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).

11.4 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 $22,830 $31,721 $45,751
5 Years After Graduation $32,801 $50,539 $77,248
10 Years After Graduation $40,613 $65,986 $90,230

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 $50,539 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)
= $50,539 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $38,287 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Health Professions and Related Programs at Schenectady County Community College experience a significant increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $31,721, which rises to $50,539 after five years, and further to $65,986 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living index in New York (1.32), the purchasing-power-adjusted salary for five years post-graduation is approximately $38,287.12, indicating that while nominal earnings grow, the real value may be impacted by higher living expenses in the state.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 33.9% and 17.6% of placements, followed by Public Administration at 13.4%. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.4 years, suggesting that while the investment in education may take over a decade to recoup, the long-term career trajectory in these fields appears promising. Overall, the return on investment for pursuing these programs at Schenectady County Community College can be considered favorable, particularly for those committed to a career in health-related sectors.

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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.