ROI Major

Business Administration and Management at Suffolk County Community College

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.02

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Business Administration and Management degree from Suffolk County Community College earn a median salary of $59,024 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $44,715. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.7 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

$42,410

Typical Career

$59,024

Top Performers

$80,391

Estimated break-even: 8.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$393

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,919. Most students can comfortably afford about a $393 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.2%
Educational Services 10.8%
Retail Trade 9.9%

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

$44,715

Nominal: $59,024 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).

8.7 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 $26,947 $40,130 $60,627
5 Years After Graduation $42,410 $59,024 $80,391
10 Years After Graduation $51,652 $73,853 $105,918

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 $59,024 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)
= $59,024 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $44,715 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Business Administration and Management program at Suffolk County Community College can expect a median earning of $45,751 one year after graduation, which increases to $63,874 five years later. However, it is important to note that median earnings decrease to $53,485 ten years post-graduation. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $48,389.39, indicating that while initial earnings may be promising, long-term financial stability may be influenced by the cost of living in New York, which has a cost of living index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 27.2% and 24.2% of employment, followed by Professional, Scientific & Technical Services at 13.6%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 8.7 years, suggesting that while there is a financial return on investment, it may take nearly a decade to realize the benefits fully. This analysis indicates that while pursuing a degree in Business Administration and Management can lead to diverse opportunities, students should weigh the long-term financial implications against the backdrop of local economic conditions.

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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.