ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 11 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$135,195 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.
133.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−92%Estimated return after 10 years
$46,098Observed 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−$79,020
$8,000Annual price−$95,020
$16,000Annual price−$111,020
$24,000Annual price−$127,020
$28,000Current college-wide context−$135,020
$32,000Annual price−$143,020
$40,000Annual price−$159,020
Outcomes at a glance
$46,098Typical earnings four years after completion
$45,050Average earnings five years after completion
$17,005Typical federal student debt
46thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
10College 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 Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
How much do Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $46,098 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 $17,005. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $41,667 to $54,371 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Specialized Sales, Merchandising and 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.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $48,009
- Federal debt
- $18,698
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,098
- Federal debt
- $17,005
- Programs in the comparison
- 11
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $53,539
- Federal debt
- $26,975
- Programs in the comparison
- 53
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $76,575
- 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$41,667National median$46,09875th percentile$54,371
10 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
The New School
$72,595 four years after completionNew York, NY · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtFashion Institute of Technology
$12,000 among completer borrowersNew York, NY · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classHocking College
20 reported awards in 2024–25Nelsonville, OH · 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.
$60,504Observed year-4 earnings$36,560
The New School$58,741 price · $72,595 earningsFashion Institute of Technology$19,095 price · $60,504 earningsLIM College$38,667 price · $59,486 earningsSouthern New Hampshire University$36,708 price · $46,352 earningsBerkeley College-Woodland Park$27,100 price · $45,844 earningsHerkimer County Community College$13,419 price · $43,446 earningsBrookdale Community College$11,231 price · $41,667 earningsBerkeley College-New York$34,124 price · $36,560 earnings
$11,231Annual college-wide average net price$38,667
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
9 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 9 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1The New School$72,5952Fashion Institute of Technology$60,5043LIM College$59,4864Southern New Hampshire University$46,3525Berkeley College-Woodland Park$45,8446Herkimer County Community College$43,4467Brookdale Community College$41,6678Berkeley College-New York$36,5609Hocking CollegeNot availableObserved 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 →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$78,760 median wage899,580 jobs nationwide+7.0% projected growth through 2035 · 82,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$43,390–$155,480 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 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 rangeWholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm ProductsUnreported jobs nationwideMarketing Managers$166,790 median wage395,240 jobs nationwide+6.9% projected growth through 2035 · 34,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$90,260–$293,610 typical wage rangeFirst-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 rangeSecurities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents$78,660 median wage489,570 jobs nationwide+1.4% projected growth through 2035 · 35,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,040–$212,880 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 rangeFirst-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 rangeModels$48,470 median wage3,780 jobs nationwide-2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 700 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$34,190–$131,470 typical wage rangeMerchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$39,390 median wage165,220 jobs nationwide+2.7% projected growth through 2035 · 17,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$30,760–$58,370 typical wage rangeParts Salespersons$38,630 median wage270,070 jobs nationwide+3.0% projected growth through 2035 · 30,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential$28,240–$62,890 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
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.
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.