ROI Major

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services at Horry - Georgetown Technical College

SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 19.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services degree from Horry - Georgetown Technical College earn a median salary of $27,563 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $28,953. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 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

$23,101

Typical Career

$27,563

Top Performers

$34,570

Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.

Debt-to-Income Check

$184

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,297. Most students can comfortably afford about a $184 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x 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

$28,953

Nominal: $27,563 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).

>10 years (extrapolated) 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 $19,518 $25,142 $30,731
5 Years After Graduation $23,101 $27,563 $34,570
10 Years After Graduation $23,842 $28,756 $37,485

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 $27,563 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)
= $27,563 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $28,953 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services from Horry - Georgetown Technical College experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $24,886, rising to $27,759 after five years, and reaching $29,153 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary approximates $29,158.61, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is a potential for growth that aligns with inflation and cost of living adjustments in South Carolina.

The primary employment sectors for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with 60.3% of graduates entering this field. This concentration suggests a strong demand for professionals in these industries. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, indicating that while the field offers stable employment opportunities, the return on investment may take considerable time to materialize. Students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectory.

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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.