Certificate (under 1 year)-12% vs national median178 grads tracked
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services at Palo Alto College
Ranked 96th of 125 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Business Operations Support and Assistant Services by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$30,311
middle 50%: $21,935 – $38,160
Median · 5 years out
$32,929
middle 50%: $24,885 – $41,202
Median · 10 years out
$39,266
middle 50%: $30,091 – $48,943
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Business Operations certificate holders earn a median of $30k in their first year. Year-five earnings reach $33k.
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
12.8 yrs
≈ $15,287 total interest
Same major at other universities
Dallas College
$33,582 · 5 yrs out
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
$33,563 · 5 yrs out
Cisco College
$33,536 · 5 yrs out
Orangeburg - Calhoun Technical College
$33,295 · 5 yrs out
Coastal Bend College
$33,005 · 5 yrs out
Lamar Institute of Technology
$32,972 · 5 yrs out
Aiken Technical College
$32,785 · 5 yrs out
Central Carolina Technical College
$32,415 · 5 yrs out
Panola College
$32,296 · 5 yrs out
Grayson College
$32,272 · 5 yrs out
Richland Community College
$32,038 · 5 yrs out
Weatherford College
$31,905 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Palo Alto College
Engineering (Associate)
$87,351 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$64,834 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$62,224 · 5 yrs out
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services (Associate)
$58,998 · 5 yrs out
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Associate)
$56,877 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$56,272 · 5 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (Associate)
$55,746 · 5 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Associate)
$55,746 · 5 yrs out
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services (Certificate)
$55,181 · 5 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate)
$54,286 · 5 yrs out
Marketing (Associate)
$53,921 · 5 yrs out
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Associate)
$53,793 · 5 yrs out
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