ROI Major

General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations at SUNY Broome Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.18

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations degree from SUNY Broome Community College earn a median salary of $46,327 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,096. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.9 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

$35,027

Typical Career

$46,327

Top Performers

$63,651

Estimated break-even: 13.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$309

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,861. Most students can comfortably afford about a $309 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 New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.6%
Educational Services 8.6%
Retail Trade 8.0%

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

$35,096

Nominal: $46,327 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).

13.9 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 $24,815 $36,399 $54,133
5 Years After Graduation $35,027 $46,327 $63,651
10 Years After Graduation $42,904 $57,135 $79,607

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 $46,327 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)
= $46,327 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $35,096 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations program at SUNY Broome Community College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,399, rising to $46,327 after five years and reaching $57,135 by the ten-year mark. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $35,096.21, reflecting the higher cost of living in New York, which has a cost-of-living index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The program's graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 41.6% of employment, followed by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 33.6%, and Retail Trade at 9.0%. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this program may be considered moderate. Students should weigh these factors against their career aspirations and financial goals when making their decision.

Compare with Another School

See how the General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations degree at SUNY Broome Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for General Sales, Merchandising, and Related Marketing Operations at SUNY Broome Community College.

Apply to SUNY Broome Community College

Explore More

Other Degrees at SUNY Broome 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.