Business/Commerce, General at Danville Community College
VA · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Business/Commerce, General degree from Danville Community College earn a median salary of $40,103 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $39,125. 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
$31,079
Typical Career
$40,103
Top Performers
$55,699
Estimated break-even: 42 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$267
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,342. Most students can comfortably afford about a $267 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.
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
$39,125
Nominal: $40,103 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% 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 | $25,122 | $34,024 | $43,687 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $31,079 | $40,103 | $55,699 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $33,078 | $43,399 | $61,218 |
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 $40,103 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $40,103 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250)
= $39,125 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 include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 40.4% of placements, followed by Manufacturing at 31.2%, and Health Care & Social Assistance again at 23.8%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 42 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be considered modest. Students should weigh these factors carefully when deciding on their educational and career paths.
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See how the Business/Commerce, General degree at Danville Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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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.