ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Northeastern Technical College

SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Northeastern Technical College earn a median salary of $72,404 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $76,055. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.3 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$58,227

Typical Career

$72,404

Top Performers

$82,859

Estimated break-even: 5.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$483

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,034. Most students can comfortably afford about a $483 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 South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 29.4%
Manufacturing 24.3%
Educational Services 8.4%

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

$76,055

Nominal: $72,404 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% higher 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).

5.3 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 $53,474 $63,470 $74,749
5 Years After Graduation $58,227 $72,404 $82,859
10 Years After Graduation $67,570 $82,929 $108,603

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 $72,404 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $72,404 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $76,055 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Northeastern Technical College pursuing Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, or Nursing Research can expect a significant increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $28,276, which rises to $60,219 after five years and reaches $64,402 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $63,255.25, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings despite the cost of living in South Carolina being slightly lower than the national average.

The primary industries for graduates are Health Care & Social Assistance, which employs 62.6% of graduates, followed by Manufacturing at 35.1% and Health Care & Social Assistance again at 29.4%. This diverse employment landscape suggests a strong demand for nursing professionals in various sectors. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 10.3 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a nursing career at Northeastern Technical College appears favorable, particularly given the robust job market in health-related fields.

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See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Northeastern Technical 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.