ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas at Moberly Area Community College

MO · Associate's Degree · CIP 13.13

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree from Moberly Area Community College earn a median salary of $39,191 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,936. The degree typically pays for itself in 33.1 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

$30,898

Typical Career

$39,191

Top Performers

$46,521

Estimated break-even: 33.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$261

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,266. Most students can comfortably afford about a $261 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.3%
Educational Services 15.4%
Retail Trade 10.0%

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

$43,936

Nominal: $39,191 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).

33.1 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 $17,806 $23,193 $30,360
5 Years After Graduation $30,898 $39,191 $46,521
10 Years After Graduation $39,310 $46,171 $56,170

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 $39,191 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)
= $39,191 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $43,936 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates of the Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas program at Moberly Area Community College shows a gradual increase over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $23,193, rising to $39,191 after five years, and reaching $46,171 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $43,936.1, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth that can be competitive when factoring in cost of living differences in Missouri.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 40.2% of employment, followed by additional roles in the same sector at 23.3%, and Public Administration at 15.9%. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 33.1 years, suggesting a long-term investment in education. Overall, while the initial financial return may be slow, the potential for increased earnings and job stability in growing industries could provide a reasonable return on investment for those committed to this career path.

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See how the Teacher Education, Specific Subject Areas degree at Moberly Area Community College 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.