ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Great Falls College Montana State University

MT · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Great Falls College Montana State University earn a median salary of $62,818 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $60,344. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.2 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$48,761

Typical Career

$62,818

Top Performers

$75,801

Estimated break-even: 6.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$419

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,235. Most students can comfortably afford about a $419 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 Montana buys what costs $1.04 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 45.9%
Educational Services 8.6%
Retail Trade 8.1%

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

$60,344

Nominal: $62,818 in Montana (COL 104.1% of national avg) · 3.9% 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).

6.2 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 $54,496 $65,900 $74,132
5 Years After Graduation $48,761 $62,818 $75,801
10 Years After Graduation $45,300 $58,527 $69,400

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 $62,818 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MT, which has a cost-of-living index of 104.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $62,818 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0410) = $60,344 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 Great Falls College Montana State University experience a steady earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,872, increasing to $37,592 after five years and reaching $47,666 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $36,111.43, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth over time, albeit with a cost of living index slightly above the national average.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 45.9% in the field one year post-graduation, and this figure remains significant at 35.1% and 33.2% after five and ten years, respectively. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 27.6 years, suggesting a long-term return on investment for those pursuing this career path. Overall, while the initial financial returns may be limited, the stability and growth potential in the health care industry can provide a worthwhile career choice for graduates.

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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.