ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at CUNY Hunter College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from CUNY Hunter College earn a median salary of $73,327 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,551. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.9 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$56,008

Typical Career

$73,327

Top Performers

$94,492

Estimated break-even: 5.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$489

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,111. Most students can comfortably afford about a $489 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 28.2%
Educational Services 14.7%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$55,551

Nominal: $73,327 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).

5.9 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 $36,268 $51,767 $67,723
5 Years After Graduation $56,008 $73,327 $94,492
10 Years After Graduation $68,131 $93,763 $123,715

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 $73,327 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)
= $73,327 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $55,551 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Accounting and Related Services program at CUNY Hunter College can expect a solid earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $51,767, which increases to $73,327 after five years and reaches $93,763 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living in New York, where the cost of living index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted salary five years post-graduation is approximately $55,550.76, indicating that while earnings grow, the local economic context may impact overall financial well-being.

The top industries for graduates highlight diverse opportunities, with 28.2% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 14.7% in Educational Services, and 11.3% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 5.9 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of earnings potential and industry entry points indicates a favorable outlook for graduates in the accounting field.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at CUNY Hunter College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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