General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 52.18. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 532 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 243 | 2,315 | $52,388 | $52,001 | $16,328 12 programs |
| Associate's degree | 171 | 854 | $44,599 | $46,500 | $14,251 3 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 85 | 2,408 | $58,823 | $75,399 | $19,596 20 programs |
| Master's degree | 16 | 505 | $83,691 | $123,713 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 1 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 15 | 87 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus ND · Public · 24 graduates measured | $63,899 | $81,273 | $14,000 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 35 graduates measured | $62,885 | $87,677 | $20,500 |
| Plymouth State University NH · Public · 65 graduates measured | $59,541 | $88,694 | Data unavailable |
| Kent State University at Stark OH · Public · 44 graduates measured | $57,064 | $86,802 | $21,610 |
| Kent State University at Kent OH · Public · 44 graduates measured | $57,064 | $86,802 | $21,610 |
| Umpqua Community College OR · Public · 73 graduates measured | $55,283 | $74,801 | $10,863 |
| Robert Morris University PA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $45,989 | Data unavailable | $22,375 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weber State University UT · Public · 100 graduates measured | $75,530 | $86,563 | $19,812 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College MN · Public · 56 graduates measured | $50,302 | $52,931 | $14,251 |
| Greenville Technical College SC · Public · 31 graduates measured | $29,192 | $39,486 | $11,914 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baylor University TX · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $85,374 | $125,167 | $19,500 |
| Kennesaw State University GA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $77,431 | $79,147 | Data unavailable |
| Weber State University UT · Public · 91 graduates measured | $73,639 | $82,549 | $19,693 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 332 graduates measured | $72,444 | $93,141 | $19,375 |
| Kansas State University KS · Public · 17 graduates measured | $69,731 | Data unavailable | $19,500 |
| University of Akron Main Campus OH · Public · 49 graduates measured | $66,633 | $70,867 | $19,000 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 122 graduates measured | $66,112 | $82,441 | $19,499 |
| University of Central Oklahoma OK · Public · 25 graduates measured | $65,769 | $75,796 | Data unavailable |
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 64 graduates measured | $63,510 | $86,245 | $24,611 |
| University of Houston TX · Public · 184 graduates measured | $63,105 | $72,199 | Data unavailable |
| William Paterson University of New Jersey NJ · Public · 16 graduates measured | $62,669 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rochester Institute of Technology NY · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $61,532 | $58,141 | $23,750 |
| High Point University NC · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $59,881 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 35 graduates measured | $59,447 | Data unavailable | $25,500 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 116 graduates measured | $59,443 | $68,903 | $19,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 72 graduates measured | $109,623 | $133,017 | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $93,918 | $120,018 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College NY · Public · 61 graduates measured | $64,789 | $117,095 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Texas TX · Public · 18 graduates measured | $60,615 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business teachers, postsecondary | $99,080 | +5.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers | $87,520 | +0.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Parts salespersons | $38,630 | +3.0% | No formal educational credential |
| Advertising sales agents | $64,820 | -7.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Travel agents | $50,160 | +0.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel | $69,990 | +2.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products | $104,920 | +1.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | $72,080 | -0.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Demonstrators and product promoters | $39,320 | +0.2% | No formal educational credential |
| Sales and related workers, all other | $48,280 | +1.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (5)
- 52.1801 Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General
- 52.1802 Merchandising and Buying Operations
- 52.1803 Retailing and Retail Operations
- 52.1804 Selling Skills and Sales Operations
- 52.1899 General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other