ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

NC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University earn a median salary of $67,394 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $68,910. The degree typically pays for itself in 7 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

$47,819

Typical Career

$67,394

Top Performers

$86,434

Estimated break-even: 7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$449

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,616. Most students can comfortably afford about a $449 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 North Carolina buys what costs $0.98 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 16.0%
Educational Services 15.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.6%

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

$68,910

Nominal: $67,394 in North Carolina (COL 97.8% of national avg) · 2.2% 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).

7 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 $31,223 $45,061 $62,753
5 Years After Graduation $47,819 $67,394 $86,434
10 Years After Graduation $59,635 $84,181 $111,292

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 $67,394 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NC, which has a cost-of-living index of 97.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,394 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9780) = $68,910 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Accounting and Related Services program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $45,061.00, which increases significantly to $67,394.00 after five years, and further to $84,181.00 after a decade. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $68,910.02, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards despite a slightly lower cost of living index in North Carolina.

The program's graduates predominantly enter industries such as Health Care & Social Assistance (16.0%), Educational Services (15.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.6%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately seven years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. The combination of solid earnings growth and diverse employment opportunities suggests that students can expect a beneficial career trajectory in this field.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University 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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