ROI Major

Human Resources Management and Services at Ohio State University (The)

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Human Resources Management and Services degree from Ohio State University (The) earn a median salary of $74,011 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $82,143. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.9 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

$57,717

Typical Career

$74,011

Top Performers

$92,453

Estimated break-even: 5.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$493

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,168. Most students can comfortably afford about a $493 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 15.6%
Educational Services 14.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.0%

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

$82,143

Nominal: $74,011 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

5.9 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 $39,310 $50,869 $64,169
5 Years After Graduation $57,717 $74,011 $92,453
10 Years After Graduation $69,818 $96,378 $133,355

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 $74,011 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $74,011 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $82,143 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Human Resources Management and Services program at Ohio State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $50,869, which increases to $74,011 after five years and reaches $96,378 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $82,143.17 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in terms of real income relative to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (15.6%), Educational Services (14.9%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (14.0%). With an estimated break-even point of about 5.9 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable. Overall, the combination of solid earning potential and diverse career opportunities suggests that a degree in Human Resources Management and Services from Ohio State University is a sound career choice.

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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.