Culinary Arts and Related Services at Southwestern Oregon Community College
OR · Associate's Degree · CIP 12.05
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Culinary Arts and Related Services degree from Southwestern Oregon Community College earn a median salary of $36,248 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $31,713. The degree typically pays for itself in 42 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
$26,824
Typical Career
$36,248
Top Performers
$48,487
Estimated break-even: 42 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$242
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,021. Most students can comfortably afford about a $242 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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, Accommodation & Food Services, 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
$31,713
Nominal: $36,248 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 | $23,711 | $29,126 | $37,556 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $26,824 | $36,248 | $48,487 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $32,179 | $44,249 | $66,251 |
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 $36,248 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)
= $36,248 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430)
= $31,713 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 are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, with 30.9%, 22.2%, and 20.9% of graduates finding employment in this sector. This concentration suggests that while culinary arts may offer diverse opportunities, many graduates may find themselves in roles that blend culinary skills with health and social services. The estimated break-even point for this educational path compared to a high-school-only route is approximately 42 years, indicating a long-term investment in education with a slow return on investment.
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Other Degrees at Southwestern Oregon 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.