ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center earn a median salary of $67,835 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $73,494. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.4 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

$52,930

Typical Career

$67,835

Top Performers

$81,771

Estimated break-even: 5.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$452

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,653. Most students can comfortably afford about a $452 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 88.9%
Administrative & Support Services 3.8%
Educational Services 2.6%

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

$73,494

Nominal: $67,835 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

5.4 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 $55,427 $67,098 $78,914
5 Years After Graduation $52,930 $67,835 $81,771
10 Years After Graduation $50,376 $67,698 $82,210

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 $67,835 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,835 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $73,494 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center can expect a stable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $67,098, with a slight increase to $67,835 five years later. Interestingly, earnings decrease marginally to $67,698 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $73,494.04, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive salary relative to the national average despite being in a state with a lower cost of living index.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 88.9% of placements, followed by Administrative & Support Services at 3.8% and Educational Services at 2.6%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 5.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. The strong industry alignment suggests a robust job market for graduates, reinforcing the program's value in providing a viable career path.

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See how the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.