Business/Commerce, General at SOWELA Technical Community College

Lake Charles, LA · Public · Associate Degree

a compact campus enrolling 2,979 students in Lake Charles, LA.

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $31,941 track close to the $36,982 national median for Business/Commerce, General programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

The 39.2x 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 0% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook for Business/Commerce, General graduates.

At #94 out of 130 programs, SOWELA Technical Community College's financial outcomes for Business/Commerce, General trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

With 8 registered apprenticeships mapped to Business/Commerce, General, graduates have substantial options for hands-on training paths that pay from day one.

67 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
63
Low End
67
Score
69
High End
Earnings $31,941/yr (-14% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (54% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (832,900 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$334K
1.0% annual growth
Earnings Multiple
39.2x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
16 of 16
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition
$8,530

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%
Chief executives
$206,420
+4.3% growth 44% AI-proof
Sales managers
$138,060
+4.7% growth 55% AI-proof
Managers, all other
$136,550
+4.5% growth 53% AI-proof

View all 16 career paths with full salary data →

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.

Read the full Business/Commerce, General career guide →

Compare & Explore

Business/Commerce, General Overview

Business/Commerce, General at Other Schools

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Considering a 4-Year Degree Instead?

Compare how bachelor's degree graduates fare on earnings, ROI, and AI resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a 67/100 TradeSchoolOutlook Score mean for Business/Commerce, General at SOWELA Technical Community College?
A score of 67/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but SOWELA Technical Community College trails the majority of Business/Commerce, General programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Business/Commerce, General to AI automation?
With 46% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $334,173 in decade earnings vs $334,173 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Can I learn Business/Commerce, General through an apprenticeship instead?
Yes — 8 registered apprenticeship programs are mapped to Business/Commerce, General career paths, including Health Information Management Business Analyst. Apprenticeships offer paid on-the-job training as an alternative or complement to certificate programs.
Is there demand for Business/Commerce, General workers?
The career paths mapped to Business/Commerce, General have roughly 832,900 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Trade careers in this field benefit from consistent replacement demand as workers retire.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →