Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 52.19. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 286 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 | 76 | 268 | $38,421 | $40,127 | $13,741 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 84 | 1,166 | $36,638 | $53,002 | $13,375 5 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 98 | 2,002 | $48,389 | $59,631 | $24,250 25 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 20 | 137 | $93,156 | $120,246 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 6 | 33 | $73,410 | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology NY · Public · 136 graduates measured | $44,730 | $60,504 | $12,000 |
| FIDM-Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising · Private, for-profit · 178 graduates measured | $35,824 | $54,371 | $12,500 |
| Southern New Hampshire University NH · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $33,295 | $46,352 | $26,414 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwood University MI · Private, nonprofit · 42 graduates measured | $74,429 | $77,647 | $21,000 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia PA · Private, nonprofit · 180 graduates measured | $62,952 | $80,764 | $24,335 |
| Seattle Pacific University WA · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $57,081 | $62,392 | Data unavailable |
| Marist University NY · Private, nonprofit · 100 graduates measured | $56,976 | $74,534 | $25,000 |
| Fashion Institute of Technology NY · Public · 539 graduates measured | $55,547 | $70,727 | $20,500 |
| Mercyhurst University PA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $54,364 | $61,066 | Data unavailable |
| LIM College NY · Private, for-profit · 194 graduates measured | $53,819 | $66,968 | $26,000 |
| Baylor University TX · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $52,622 | $67,066 | Data unavailable |
| Sacred Heart University CT · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $51,925 | Data unavailable | $25,000 |
| Texas Christian University TX · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $51,452 | $66,108 | $22,500 |
| Lasell University MA · Private, nonprofit · 40 graduates measured | $50,132 | $69,156 | $27,000 |
| University of Missouri-Columbia MO · Public · 71 graduates measured | $49,597 | Data unavailable | $19,115 |
| Ferris State University MI · Public · 32 graduates measured | $48,928 | $61,884 | $19,288 |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 99 graduates measured | $48,517 | $61,955 | $16,582 |
| University of North Texas TX · Public · 163 graduates measured | $46,968 | $55,878 | $21,250 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology NY · Public · 18 graduates measured | $165,589 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia PA · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $153,340 | $226,638 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 26 graduates measured | $76,079 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-Newark NJ · Public · 26 graduates measured | $76,079 | 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.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia State University GA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $76,112 | 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 Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing managers | $166,790 | +6.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | $78,760 | +7.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Merchandise displayers and window trimmers | $39,390 | +2.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| 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 |
| Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents | $78,660 | +1.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Travel agents | $50,160 | +0.2% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | $72,080 | -0.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Models | $48,470 | -2.1% | 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 (11)
- 52.1901 Auctioneering
- 52.1902 Fashion Merchandising
- 52.1903 Fashion Modeling
- 52.1904 Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations
- 52.1905 Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations
- 52.1906 Tourism Promotion Operations
- 52.1907 Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations
- 52.1908 Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations
- 52.1909 Special Products Marketing Operations
- 52.1910 Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations
- 52.1999 Specialized Merchandising, Sales, and Marketing Operations, Other