ROI Major

Human Resources Management and Services at Central Ohio Technical College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Human Resources Management and Services degree from Central Ohio Technical College earn a median salary of $44,398 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,276. The degree typically pays for itself in 26.3 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

$33,260

Typical Career

$44,398

Top Performers

$68,521

Estimated break-even: 26.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$296

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,700. Most students can comfortably afford about a $296 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 Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 56.6%
Educational Services 7.3%
Finance & Insurance 5.2%

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

$49,276

Nominal: $44,398 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

26.3 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 $22,409 $30,070 $39,380
5 Years After Graduation $33,260 $44,398 $68,521
10 Years After Graduation $31,694 $46,663 $76,958

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 $44,398 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $44,398 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $49,276 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Human Resources Management and Services at Central Ohio Technical College shows a gradual increase over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $30,070, which rises to $44,398 after five years and reaches $46,663 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $49,276.36, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth that aligns with national standards when considering cost of living differences.

Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 76.1% finding employment in this field. The high concentration in this industry suggests a stable job market for graduates. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 26.3 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. This extended timeline may influence students' decisions, as the financial benefits of a degree may take considerable time to materialize relative to immediate job opportunities available without further education.

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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.