Business Operations Support and Assistant Services: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 229 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Business Operations Support and Assistant Services pays
Career outlook for Business Operations Support and Assistant Services graduates
The job market for the occupations Business Operations Support and Assistant Services graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer service representatives | 2,814,000 | -5.5% | $42,830 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Office clerks, general | 2,646,000 | -6.7% | $43,630 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive | 1,944,000 | -1.6% | $46,290 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers | 1,558,400 | -0.3% | $66,140 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Business operations specialists, all other | 1,205,700 | +3.0% | $81,270 | Bachelor's degree |
| Receptionists and information clerks | 1,007,200 | +0.0% | $37,230 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services vs similar majors
How Business Operations Support and Assistant Services stacks up against the closest fields in Business, Management & Marketing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services Business, Management & Marketing · this major | Taxation | Real Estate | Construction Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 18 F | 86 A | 89 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $32,302 | $115,802 | $106,858 | $93,418 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $26,135 | $82,899 | $75,222 | $72,735 |
| ROI vs cost | -265% | +744% | +657% | +500% |
| Typical debt | $13,303 | $32,642 | $26,560 | $23,977 |
| Colleges offering it | 229 | 30 | 27 | 47 |
Business Operations Support and Assistant Services earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Business Operations Support and Assistant Services
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE | Certificate | $55,221 | — | +783% | Strong return |
| 2 | City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Certificate | $50,030 | — | +628% | Strong return |
| 3 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC | Associate's | $62,873 | — | +468% | Strong return |
| 4 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ | Certificate | $48,475 | — | +317% | Strong return |
| 5 | Portland Community College Portland, OR | Certificate | $48,158 | — | +204% | Strong return |
| 6 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | Certificate | $89,051 | — | +164% | Strong return |
| 7 | Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI | Certificate | $45,986 | — | +8% | Break-even |
| 8 | Universal Technical Institute-Canton Canton, MI | Certificate | $46,190 | — | -48% | Poor return |
| 9 | Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI | Certificate | $45,421 | — | -63% | Poor return |
| 10 | Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA | Certificate | $44,572 | — | -149% | Poor return |
| 11 | Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA | Certificate | $44,354 | — | -157% | Poor return |
| 12 | Charter College Anchorage, AK | Certificate | $41,078 | $14,750 | -198% | Poor return |
| 13 | Houston City College Houston, TX | Certificate | $42,965 | $33,518 | -213% | Poor return |
| 14 | Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI | Certificate | $42,344 | $22,304 | -230% | Poor return |
| 15 | Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA | Associate's | $40,295 | $34,937 | -236% | Poor return |
| 16 | Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA | Certificate | $43,797 | — | -237% | Poor return |
| 17 | Central Coast College Salinas, CA | Certificate | $41,316 | — | -238% | Poor return |
| 18 | San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -284% | Poor return |
| 19 | San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -285% | Poor return |
| 20 | San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -290% | Poor return |
| 21 | San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster Lancaster, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -292% | Poor return |
| 22 | San Joaquin Valley College-Modesto Salida, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -292% | Poor return |
| 23 | San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula Temecula, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -296% | Poor return |
| 24 | San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno Fresno, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -298% | Poor return |
| 25 | San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia Hesperia, CA | Certificate | $38,490 | $19,950 | -299% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.