Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 at Dalton State College
GA · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.39
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 degree from Dalton State College earn a median salary of $46,597 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,488. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.3 years.
Quick Insights
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
$37,269
Typical Career
$46,597
Top Performers
$58,507
Estimated break-even: 16.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$311
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,883. Most students can comfortably afford about a $311 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Manufacturing, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$51,488
Nominal: $46,597 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).
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 | $31,411 | $39,266 | $46,870 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,269 | $46,597 | $58,507 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $41,379 | $51,505 | $64,114 |
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 $46,597 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)
= $46,597 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050)
= $51,488 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, which employs 50.2% of alumni, followed by 35.7% in the same sector and 28.4% in Educational Services. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program's training and job market demand. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 16.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly given the stable employment opportunities in these sectors.
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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.