Accounting and Related Services at Saint Paul College - A Community & Technical College
MN · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Saint Paul College - A Community & Technical College earn a median salary of $55,978 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $59,488. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.7 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
$46,571
Typical Career
$55,978
Top Performers
$68,545
Estimated break-even: 9.7 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$373
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,665. Most students can comfortably afford about a $373 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 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
$59,488
Nominal: $55,978 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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).
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 | $34,202 | $45,751 | $59,022 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $46,571 | $55,978 | $68,545 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $46,207 | $61,332 | $80,055 |
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 $55,978 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,978 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410)
= $59,488 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program's graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance (35.0%), Construction (29.2%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (28.1%) sectors, indicating a strong alignment with industries that are vital to the economy. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 9.7 years, suggesting that the investment in education can yield significant returns over time. Overall, the program offers a favorable return on investment, particularly for those entering high-demand fields.
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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.