ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Paris Junior College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Paris Junior College earn a median salary of $45,979 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,923. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.6 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

$35,643

Typical Career

$45,979

Top Performers

$64,005

Estimated break-even: 12.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$307

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,832. Most students can comfortably afford about a $307 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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 32.0%
Educational Services 15.1%
Manufacturing 11.4%

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

$49,923

Nominal: $45,979 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).

12.6 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 $23,925 $31,905 $46,826
5 Years After Graduation $35,643 $45,979 $64,005
10 Years After Graduation $44,669 $63,874 $87,772

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 $45,979 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)
= $45,979 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $49,923 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 Paris Junior College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $31,905, which rise to $45,979 five years later and reach $63,874 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $49,922.91, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive income relative to the national average despite the lower cost of living in Texas.

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 70.0% entering this field. This trend suggests a strong demand for accounting skills within these industries. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 12.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Accounting and Related Services at Paris Junior College appears favorable, particularly given the potential for growth in earnings and job stability in a robust sector.

Compare with Another School

See how the Accounting and Related Services degree at Paris Junior College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Accounting and Related Services at Paris Junior College.

Apply to Paris Junior College

Explore More

Other Degrees at Paris Junior College

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.