Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services at Lamar Community College
CO · Associate's Degree · CIP 12.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services degree from Lamar Community College earn a median salary of $28,969 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $27,563. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 years.
Quick Insights
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
$22,650
Typical Career
$28,969
Top Performers
$43,047
Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.
Debt-to-Income Check
$193
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,414. Most students can comfortably afford about a $193 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 Colorado buys what costs $1.05 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Administrative & Support Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$27,563
Nominal: $28,969 in Colorado (COL 105.1% of national avg) · 4.9% 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).
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 | $17,227 | $21,791 | $29,849 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $22,650 | $28,969 | $43,047 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $26,082 | $34,107 | $55,464 |
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 $28,969 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CO, which has a cost-of-living index of 105.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $28,969 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0510)
= $27,563 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 47.2% in the first year, followed by 33.8% and 30.2% in subsequent years. This concentration suggests a stable demand for skills in this field. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, indicating that while there are opportunities, the return on investment may take considerable time to realize. Students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectory in cosmetology.
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Other Degrees at Lamar Community College
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.