WhatGradsMake
Certificate (1-2 years)+9% vs national median306 grads tracked

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Del Mar College

Ranked 87th of 256 certificate (1-2 years) programs in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$46,864
middle 50%: $38,050 – $55,292
Median · 5 years out
$62,175
middle 50%: $48,096 – $79,656
Median · 10 years out
$68,968
middle 50%: $48,728 – $86,717

Salary trajectory

Median earnings vs the national median for Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (certificate (1-2 years)) graduates.

This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates

Del Mar College nursing certificate holders begin with a median salary of $47k. Mid-career earnings reach $62k at five years and $69k at the ten-year mark.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.

Will the degree pay for itself?

Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.

Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).

Paid off in
6.6 yrs
≈ $7,438 total interest

Same major at other universities

Lake Superior College
$62,978 · 5 yrs out
Trinidad State College
$62,631 · 5 yrs out
Alvin Community College
$62,612 · 5 yrs out
Parkland College
$62,468 · 5 yrs out
Hill College
$62,322 · 5 yrs out
Klamath Community College
$62,322 · 5 yrs out
Midlands Technical College
$61,760 · 5 yrs out
Angelina College
$61,644 · 5 yrs out
Saint Philip's College
$61,603 · 5 yrs out
Heartland Community College
$61,566 · 5 yrs out
Minnesota State College Southeast
$61,489 · 5 yrs out
Blinn College
$61,426 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Del Mar College

Physical Science Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$116,020 · 5 yrs out
Science Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$112,512 · 5 yrs out
Physical Science Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$101,251 · 5 yrs out
Science Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$99,192 · 5 yrs out
Fire Protection (Associate)
$93,589 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Associate)
$85,664 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Associate)
$85,664 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$85,617 · 5 yrs out
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$79,787 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$75,855 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$75,063 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$74,110 · 5 yrs out

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