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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 103 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$10,257 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

10.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−9%Estimated return after 10 years
$55,935Observed earnings · year 4
$9,675Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark would need to fall by $5,128 per year to reach it.

Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$55,935 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$55,935Typical earnings four years after completion
$55,928Average earnings five years after completion
$21,874Typical federal student debt
66thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
95College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

How much do Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $55,935 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $21,874. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $51,165 to $58,588 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 11 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$49,524
Federal debt
$11,588
Programs in the comparison
30
25 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$55,935
Federal debt
$21,874
Programs in the comparison
103
95 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$73,884
Federal debt
$27,000
Programs in the comparison
49
48 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$92,609
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
13
13 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$91,271
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
10
10 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$54,763
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$51,165National median$55,93575th percentile$58,588
95 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$58,58875th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$21,874Median federal debt across programs that report it
10Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Wake Technical Community College

$83,715 four years after completionRaleigh, NC · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

Tacoma Community College

$10,759 among completer borrowersTacoma, WA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Houston City College

89 reported awards in 2024–25Houston, TX · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$74,999Observed year-4 earnings$58,586
$3,214Annual college-wide average net price$29,477
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Wake Technical Community College$83,7152Red Rocks Community College$76,0933Sinclair Community College$74,9994Arapahoe Community College$73,2875Joliet Junior College$71,8226Waukesha County Technical College$71,5387New England Institute of Technology$70,5648Madison Area Technical College$69,7599Dunwoody College of Technology$69,39810Austin Community College District$68,934

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Computer Network Architects$134,050 median wage179,740 jobs nationwide+7.7% projected growth through 2035 · 9,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,900–$202,680 typical wage rangeComputer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$96,980 median wage35,480 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 3,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,460–$170,200 typical wage rangeComputer Network Support Specialists$76,220 median wage146,190 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$47,120–$127,780 typical wage rangeComputer and Information Systems Managers$175,140 median wage670,570 jobs nationwide+15.8% projected growth through 2035 · 53,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$107,550–$297,510 typical wage rangeComputer and Information Research Scientists$140,300 median wage37,200 jobs nationwide+21.8% projected growth through 2035 · 2,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$82,200–$230,630 typical wage rangeDatabase Architects$139,500 median wage67,140 jobs nationwide+9.4% projected growth through 2035 · 3,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$86,240–$204,000 typical wage rangeSoftware Developers$135,980 median wage1,687,890 jobs nationwide+10.2% projected growth through 2035 · 95,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$82,460–$214,670 typical wage rangeInformation Security Analysts$129,180 median wage190,650 jobs nationwide+21.0% projected growth through 2035 · 14,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$75,090–$199,850 typical wage rangeComputer Systems Analysts$105,850 median wage519,530 jobs nationwide+7.9% projected growth through 2035 · 32,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$67,340–$167,710 typical wage rangeComputer Programmers$100,390 median wage92,230 jobs nationwide-7.3% projected growth through 2035 · 4,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$57,710–$160,460 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Associate's Degree

Computer and Information Sciences, General

Year-4 earnings
$54,238
Federal debt
$14,440
142 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management

Year-4 earnings
$56,486
Federal debt
$21,480
135 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Computer Programming

Year-4 earnings
$59,646
Federal debt
$17,108
57 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Computer Software and Media Applications

Year-4 earnings
$38,361
Federal debt
$17,937
46 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

WI12 programs$59,736 average earningsTX7 programs$55,167 average earningsMN7 programs$55,395 average earningsWA5 programs$61,458 average earningsIL5 programs$59,113 average earningsFL5 programs$50,396 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.