ROI Major

Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services at Illinois Valley Community College

IL · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.35

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services degree from Illinois Valley Community College earn a median salary of $32,438 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,336. 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

$25,278

Typical Career

$32,438

Top Performers

$50,710

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

Debt-to-Income Check

$216

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,703. Most students can comfortably afford about a $216 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.0%
Manufacturing 9.2%
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

$35,336

Nominal: $32,438 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% 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 $20,409 $27,510 $36,674
5 Years After Graduation $25,278 $32,438 $50,710
10 Years After Graduation $26,804 $34,573 $53,578

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 $32,438 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $32,438 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $35,336 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services program at Illinois Valley Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,510, rising to $32,438 after five years and reaching $34,573 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $35,335.51 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth as graduates gain experience in the field.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 44.6% employed in this industry one year post-graduation. This percentage remains significant over time, with 42.0% and 29.3% continuing in similar roles five and ten years later, respectively. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, suggesting that while the field offers stable employment opportunities, the return on investment may take considerable time to materialize.

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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.