ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Horry - Georgetown Technical College

SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Horry - Georgetown Technical College earn a median salary of $39,543 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $41,537. The degree typically pays for itself in 25.6 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

$30,546

Typical Career

$39,543

Top Performers

$51,841

Estimated break-even: 25.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$264

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,295. Most students can comfortably afford about a $264 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Accommodation & Food Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 38.7%
Public Administration 8.5%
Accommodation & Food Services 8.3%

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

$41,537

Nominal: $39,543 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 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).

25.6 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 $24,328 $31,905 $42,467
5 Years After Graduation $30,546 $39,543 $51,841
10 Years After Graduation $36,091 $47,856 $60,961

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 $39,543 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $39,543 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $41,537 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at Horry - Georgetown Technical College experience a steady increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $31,905, rising to $39,543 after five years, and reaching $47,856 a decade post-graduation. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted median earnings five years after graduation align closely with the national equivalent at $41,536.76, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite the cost of living index in South Carolina being slightly lower than the national average.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with significant percentages entering various roles in this sector. This concentration suggests a robust job market for accounting professionals in health-related fields. However, the estimated break-even point of approximately 25.6 years compared to a high-school-only path indicates a long-term investment in education. Overall, while the program offers a positive earnings trajectory, prospective students should weigh the time and financial commitment against potential returns in the job market.

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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.