ROI Major

Social Work at Angelina College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 44.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Social Work degree from Angelina College earn a median salary of $43,722 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,472. The degree typically pays for itself in 21.4 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

$32,534

Typical Career

$43,722

Top Performers

$58,032

Estimated break-even: 21.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$291

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,644. Most students can comfortably afford about a $291 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 44.9%
Educational Services 10.7%
Manufacturing 7.1%

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

$47,472

Nominal: $43,722 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

21.4 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 $19,694 $29,296 $38,795
5 Years After Graduation $32,534 $43,722 $58,032
10 Years After Graduation $38,355 $49,703 $71,384

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 $43,722 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $43,722 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $47,472 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Angelina College's Social Work program can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,296, which rises to $43,722 five years post-graduation and reaches $49,703 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation, adjusted for cost of living, equate to approximately $47,472.31 nationally, indicating that while initial salaries may seem modest, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, with 90.9% of graduates working in this sector, and a notable 44.9% remaining within Health Care & Social Assistance roles. Additionally, 22.8% find opportunities in Public Administration. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 21.4 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time to materialize, the stability and growth potential in these fields can provide a solid foundation for a career in social work.

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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.