ROI Major

Psychology, General at Northeast Texas Community College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 42.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Psychology, General degree from Northeast Texas Community College earn a median salary of $41,244 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $44,782. The degree typically pays for itself in 20.5 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

$30,620

Typical Career

$41,244

Top Performers

$71,728

Estimated break-even: 20.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$275

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,437. Most students can comfortably afford about a $275 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 34.9%
Educational Services 17.3%
Manufacturing 8.0%

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

$44,782

Nominal: $41,244 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

20.5 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 $20,476 $27,237 $38,279
5 Years After Graduation $30,620 $41,244 $71,728
10 Years After Graduation $42,033 $51,627 $75,158

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 $41,244 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $41,244 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $44,782 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Psychology, General program at Northeast Texas Community College experience a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,237, rising to $41,244 after five years and reaching $51,627 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $44,781.76, indicating that while initial earnings may be lower than some other fields, there is potential for growth in real terms over time.

The primary industries for graduates are concentrated in Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 34.9% of employment, followed closely by Educational Services at 17.3%. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 20.5 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time, the degree provides access to stable career opportunities in growing sectors. Overall, the career trajectory appears promising, particularly for those committed to the field.

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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.