Business/Commerce, General at Southeast New Mexico College
a compact campus enrolling 426 students in Carlsbad, NM.
Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $30,628/yr fall 17% below the $36,982 national median for Business/Commerce, General. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 174.5x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. Trade programs often deliver strong ratios, and this one is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 46% task exposure — and the 24% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook for Business/Commerce, General graduates.
At $7,542 in median debt against $30,628 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance quickly — a hallmark of affordable trade programs.
Ranked #7 out of 130 programs, Southeast New Mexico College's Business/Commerce, General program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $30,628 to $40,116 shows 31% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
With 8 registered apprenticeships mapped to Business/Commerce, General, graduates have substantial options for hands-on training paths that pay from day one.
Earnings Overview
Projected 10-Year Earnings
Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.
Top Career Paths
Top career paths for Business/Commerce, General graduates by median salary.
| Career Path | Median Salary | Growth | AI-ProofAI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief executives | $206,420 | +4.3% | 44% |
| Sales managers | $138,060 | +4.7% | 55% |
| Managers, all other | $136,550 | +4.5% | 53% |
About Business/Commerce, General Careers
Your career in business often starts by mastering a specific function. You might begin as a project coordinator, using tools like Asana and Slack to keep teams on schedule, or as a management analyst, digging into spreadsheets and interviewing staff to pinpoint how a company can improve efficiency. Your days are a mix of collaboration, problem-solving, and communicating your findings to leadership. As you gain experience, you’ll progress from executing tasks to directing them, becoming an operations manager who oversees a department’s budget and staff or a sales manager leading a team to hit its targets.
Compare & Explore
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