ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Albany State University

GA · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Albany State University earn a median salary of $59,222 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,439. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.1 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$46,571

Typical Career

$59,222

Top Performers

$74,704

Estimated break-even: 8.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$395

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,935. Most students can comfortably afford about a $395 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Administrative & Support Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 56.7%
Educational Services 11.9%
Administrative & Support Services 5.0%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$65,439

Nominal: $59,222 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

8.1 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $42,539 $53,243 $69,751
5 Years After Graduation $46,571 $59,222 $74,704
10 Years After Graduation $51,351 $63,681 $75,893

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $59,222 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $59,222 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $65,439 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program at Albany State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $53,243, increasing to $59,222 after five years and reaching $63,681 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $65,438.67, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial position relative to their peers across the country.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance industries, with 56.7% employed in this sector one year post-graduation. This trend continues with 46.8% and 34.0% remaining in the same field after five and ten years, respectively. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 8.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, reflecting both strong industry demand and stable career growth potential.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.