ROI Major

Air Transportation at CUNY York College

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 49.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Air Transportation degree from CUNY York College earn a median salary of $71,671 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,296. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.9 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

$48,639

Typical Career

$71,671

Top Performers

$89,729

Estimated break-even: 6.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$478

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,973. Most students can comfortably afford about a $478 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x 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, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 36.8%
Educational Services 13.8%
Public Administration 10.2%

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

$54,296

Nominal: $71,671 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).

6.9 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 $28,130 $40,883 $55,665
5 Years After Graduation $48,639 $71,671 $89,729
10 Years After Graduation $56,029 $78,278 $100,994

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 $71,671 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)
= $71,671 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $54,296 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Air Transportation program at CUNY York College can expect a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $40,883 one year after graduation, increasing to $71,671 five years later, and reaching $78,278 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $54,296.21 nationally, indicating that while graduates may face a higher cost of living in New York (COL index of 1.32), their earning potential remains competitive when considering inflation and regional economic factors.

The program's graduates primarily enter industries such as Health Care & Social Assistance (36.8%), Educational Services (13.8%), and Public Administration (10.2%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 6.9 years, suggesting that the investment in higher education can yield a favorable return over time. Overall, the combination of rising earnings and diverse career opportunities in stable industries presents a compelling case for pursuing a degree in Air Transportation at CUNY York College.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Air Transportation degree at CUNY York 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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