ROI Major

Industrial Production Technologies at Kilgore College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 15.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Industrial Production Technologies degree from Kilgore College earn a median salary of $99,772 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $108,330. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.9 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

$74,815

Typical Career

$99,772

Top Performers

$123,177

Estimated break-even: 3.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$665

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $8,314. Most students can comfortably afford about a $665 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.3x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.0%
Educational Services 12.2%
Manufacturing 7.9%

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

$108,330

Nominal: $99,772 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

3.9 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 $47,412 $65,883 $87,228
5 Years After Graduation $74,815 $99,772 $123,177
10 Years After Graduation $100,565 $119,554 $146,892

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 $99,772 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $99,772 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $108,330 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Industrial Production Technologies program at Kilgore College can expect a strong earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $65,883, which increases to $99,772 after five years and reaches $119,554 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $108,330.08, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market relative to national averages, despite Texas having a lower cost of living index.

The program prepares students for careers primarily in Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 46.8% of job placements, followed by Public Administration at 30.0%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 3.9 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment. Overall, the combination of solid earnings potential and diverse industry opportunities makes this program a viable option for students considering their career paths.

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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.