ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas at Fitchburg State University

MA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 13.13

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree from Fitchburg State University earn a median salary of $82,210 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,472. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

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

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$61,489

Typical Career

$82,210

Top Performers

$108,462

Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$548

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,851. Most students can comfortably afford about a $548 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Massachusetts buys what costs $1.48 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.8%
Educational Services 17.4%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.9%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$55,472

Nominal: $82,210 in Massachusetts (COL 148.2% of national avg) · 32.5% lower 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).

4.6 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 $38,967 $64,834 $105,955
5 Years After Graduation $61,489 $82,210 $108,462
10 Years After Graduation $68,203 $82,300 $100,094

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 $82,210 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MA, which has a cost-of-living index of 148.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $82,210 × (1.0 ÷ 1.4820) = $55,472 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas program at Fitchburg State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $64,834, which increases to $82,210 five years post-graduation, and stabilizes at $82,300 ten years later. However, when adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary equates to approximately $55,472.33 nationally, reflecting the higher cost of living in Massachusetts, where the cost-of-living index is 1.482 compared to the national average of 1.0. This suggests that while nominal earnings are strong, the purchasing power may be less favorable.

The top industries for graduates indicate a diverse range of opportunities, with 24.8% entering Health Care & Social Assistance, 17.4% in Educational Services, and 8.9% in Professional, Scientific & Technical Services. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 4.6 years, suggesting that the investment in education can yield a favorable return over time. Overall, while the initial earnings are promising, prospective students should consider the impact of the cost of living and industry trends when evaluating the long-term return on investment in this field.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree at Fitchburg State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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