Computer Programming at Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges
NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 11.02
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Computer Programming degree from Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges earn a median salary of $56,877 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,089. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.3 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
$34,840
Typical Career
$56,877
Top Performers
$83,557
Estimated break-even: 10.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$379
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,740. Most students can comfortably afford about a $379 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Retail Trade, Educational Services.
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
$43,089
Nominal: $56,877 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).
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 | $22,162 | $28,722 | $49,464 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $34,840 | $56,877 | $83,557 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $50,311 | $69,154 | $93,589 |
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 $56,877 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)
= $56,877 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200)
= $43,089 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 30.4% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 17.4% and a second entry for Health Care & Social Assistance at 17.2%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 10.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, students can anticipate a reasonable return on investment. This trajectory suggests that pursuing a degree in Computer Programming can lead to rewarding career opportunities in stable industries, making it a viable option for those interested in the field.
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See how the Computer Programming degree at Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges 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.