UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 12 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$75,332 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$75,332Median year-4 earnings
$13,096Average institution net-price context
$22,750Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$75,332Typical earnings four years after completion
$25,447Average earnings five years after completion
$22,750Typical federal student debt
88thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
33Degrees awarded in 2024–25
12College 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.
Four useful answers about General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
How much do General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $75,332 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $22,750. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $25,550 to $86,802 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
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.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,332
- Federal debt
- $22,750
- Programs in the comparison
- 12
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $39,486
- Federal debt
- $17,266
- Programs in the comparison
- 12
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $74,557
- Federal debt
- $24,649
- Programs in the comparison
- 30
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $120,018
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
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$25,550National median$75,33275th percentile$86,802
12 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
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
Plymouth State University
$88,694 four years after completionPlymouth, NH · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUmpqua Community College
$8,237 among completer borrowersRoseburg, OR · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Missouri-Columbia
92 reported awards in 2024–25Columbia, MO · 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.
$87,677Observed year-4 earnings$25,550
Plymouth State University$19,216 price · $88,694 earningsUniversity of Missouri-Columbia$20,268 price · $87,677 earningsKent State University at Stark$10,897 price · $86,802 earningsKent State University at Kent$20,787 price · $86,802 earningsNorth Dakota State University-Main Campus$15,543 price · $81,273 earningsIndiana State University$10,873 price · $75,862 earningsUmpqua Community College$8,340 price · $74,801 earningsTacoma Community College$8,376 price · $50,865 earningsLake Land College$2,254 price · $44,450 earningsCET-San Jose$16,101 price · $25,550 earningsCET-El Centro$11,405 price · $25,550 earnings
$2,254Annual college-wide average net price$20,268
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
12 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 12 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Plymouth State University$88,6942University of Missouri-Columbia$87,6773Kent State University at Stark$86,8024Kent State University at Kent$86,8025North Dakota State University-Main Campus$81,2736Indiana State University$75,8627Umpqua Community College$74,8018Tacoma Community College$50,8659Lake Land College$44,45010CET-San Jose$25,550Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
Higher median wage ↑
-9%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers$48,520 median wage1,121,800 jobs nationwide-3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 113,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$33,120–$77,080 typical wage rangeWholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm ProductsUnreported jobs nationwideFirst-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers$87,520 median wage214,390 jobs nationwide+0.5% projected growth through 2035 · 21,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$50,320–$164,070 typical wage rangeSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080 median wage1,238,190 jobs nationwide-0.9% projected growth through 2035 · 99,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$39,090–$137,550 typical wage rangeSales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990 median wage1,256,010 jobs nationwide+2.7% projected growth through 2035 · 115,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,980–$148,840 typical wage rangeSales and Related Workers, All Other$48,280 median wage93,180 jobs nationwide+1.1% projected growth through 2035 · 13,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$29,720–$97,910 typical wage rangePurchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm ProductsUnreported jobs nationwideSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$104,920 median wage284,800 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 23,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$52,600–$200,440 typical wage rangeBusiness Teachers, Postsecondary$99,080 median wage82,150 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 7,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$47,180–$209,470 typical wage rangeAdvertising Sales Agents$64,820 median wage91,700 jobs nationwide-7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 7,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,240–$146,010 typical wage rangeTravel Agents$50,160 median wage55,110 jobs nationwide+0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 5,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$34,610–$76,660 typical wage rangeDemonstrators and Product Promoters$39,320 median wage64,520 jobs nationwide+0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 11,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$31,200–$63,850 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.