ROI Major

Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

MO · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 14.14

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology earn a median salary of $78,429 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $87,925. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.2 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$65,774

Typical Career

$78,429

Top Performers

$92,726

Estimated break-even: 5.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$523

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,536. Most students can comfortably afford about a $523 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Construction.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 30.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 25.9%
Construction 6.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$87,925

Nominal: $78,429 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

5.2 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 $45,751 $58,427 $68,541
5 Years After Graduation $65,774 $78,429 $92,726
10 Years After Graduation $62,393 $79,032 $98,712

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 $78,429 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $78,429 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $87,925 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology experience a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $58,427, increasing to $78,429 five years post-graduation and slightly rising to $79,032 a decade later. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $87,924.89, indicating a competitive position in the job market despite the lower cost of living index in Missouri (0.892 compared to the national average of 1.0).

The top industries for graduates include Manufacturing (30.5%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (25.9%), and Construction (6.6%), suggesting diverse employment opportunities. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 5.2 years, indicating a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects in this field appear solid, with a good balance of earnings potential and industry demand.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering degree at Missouri University of Science and Technology stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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