ROI Major

Teaching Assistants/Aides at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 13.15

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teaching Assistants/Aides degree from Hostos Community College of the City University of New York earn a median salary of $38,847 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $29,430. The degree typically pays for itself in 28.4 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

$29,089

Typical Career

$38,847

Top Performers

$49,807

Estimated break-even: 28.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$259

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,237. Most students can comfortably afford about a $259 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 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 Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 43.4%
Educational Services 10.8%
Public Administration 8.3%

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

$29,430

Nominal: $38,847 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).

28.4 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 $23,305 $31,185 $41,173
5 Years After Graduation $29,089 $38,847 $49,807
10 Years After Graduation $34,449 $46,915 $59,649

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 $38,847 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)
= $38,847 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $29,430 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Teaching Assistants/Aides program at Hostos Community College can expect a steady earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $31,185 one year after graduation, increasing to $38,847 after five years, and reaching $46,915 after ten years. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $29,429.55 nationally, indicating that the cost of living in New York may significantly impact the real value of these earnings over time.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which comprises 58.6% of placements, followed by Educational Services at 10.8%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 28.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this career path may be considered moderate. Prospective students should weigh the long-term financial implications against their personal and professional goals when considering this field.

Compare with Another School

See how the Teaching Assistants/Aides degree at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York 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.