ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 16 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$20,065 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.
12.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−19%Estimated return after 10 years
$53,620Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$3,800
$8,000Current college-wide context−$19,800
$16,000Annual price−$35,800
$24,000Annual price−$51,800
$32,000Annual price−$67,800
$40,000Annual price−$83,800
Outcomes at a glance
$53,620Typical earnings four years after completion
$49,586Average earnings five years after completion
$19,682Typical federal student debt
62thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
16College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions
How much do Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $53,620 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 $19,682. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $45,933 to $61,446 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 3 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.
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$45,933National median$53,62075th percentile$61,446
16 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
Connecticut State Community College
$75,081 four years after completionNew Britain, CT · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtHillsborough College
$19,464 among completer borrowersTampa, FL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classCUNY New York City College of Technology
22 reported awards in 2024–25Brooklyn, NY · 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.
$74,897Observed year-4 earnings$22,300
Connecticut State Community College$11,513 price · $75,081 earningsDurham Technical Community College$1,664 price · $74,897 earningsEssex County College$4,436 price · $68,134 earningsCamden County College$5,996 price · $61,446 earningsCUNY New York City College of Technology$5,127 price · $57,700 earningsHillsborough College$3,861 price · $57,215 earningsBenjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology$15,488 price · $56,306 earningsTriton College$4,138 price · $50,934 earningsPima Medical Institute-Denver$22,034 price · $47,302 earningsPortland Community College$10,405 price · $46,972 earningsErie Community College$7,765 price · $45,933 earningsRoane State Community College$4,270 price · $41,665 earningsInter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce$9,026 price · $22,300 earnings
$1,664Annual college-wide average net price$15,488
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
14 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 14 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Connecticut State Community College$75,0812Durham Technical Community College$74,8973Essex County College$68,1344Camden County College$61,4465CUNY New York City College of Technology$57,7006Hillsborough College$57,2157Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology$56,3068Triton College$50,9349Pima Medical Institute-Tucson$47,30210Pima Medical Institute-Denver$47,302Observed 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 ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →23%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$45,570 median wage71,010 jobs nationwide+21.4% projected growth through 2035 · 11,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$35,700–$61,940 typical wage rangeOpticians, Dispensing$47,260 median wage73,530 jobs nationwide+4.2% projected growth through 2035 · 5,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,610–$76,750 typical wage rangeNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
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.