ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Georgia Southern 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 Georgia Southern University earn a median salary of $62,412 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $68,964. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.1 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

$51,505

Typical Career

$62,412

Top Performers

$75,002

Estimated break-even: 7.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$416

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,201. Most students can comfortably afford about a $416 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x 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, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 43.8%
Educational Services 11.6%
Retail Trade 6.1%

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

$68,964

Nominal: $62,412 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).

7.1 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 $42,177 $56,203 $68,957
5 Years After Graduation $51,505 $62,412 $75,002
10 Years After Graduation $52,165 $65,153 $81,133

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 $62,412 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)
= $62,412 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $68,964 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 Georgia Southern University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $56,203, which increases to $62,412 after five years and reaches $65,153 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $68,963.54 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite regional cost-of-living differences, with Georgia's COL index at 0.905 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The program prepares graduates for diverse career opportunities, with a significant portion entering Public Administration (74.9%) and Health Care & Social Assistance (43.8% and 20.4%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only education is approximately 7.1 years, suggesting that pursuing this degree offers a favorable return on investment. Overall, the combination of solid earnings potential and diverse industry entry points makes this program a viable option for students considering a career in dental support services and allied professions.

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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.