Biology Technician at Saint Louis Community College
MO · Associate's Degree · CIP 41.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Biology Technician degree from Saint Louis Community College earn a median salary of $47,705 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,481. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.3 years.
Quick Insights
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
$37,394
Typical Career
$47,705
Top Performers
$60,342
Estimated break-even: 11.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$318
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,975. Most students can comfortably afford about a $318 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 Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$53,481
Nominal: $47,705 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).
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 | $27,128 | $38,438 | $49,342 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,394 | $47,705 | $60,342 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $44,060 | $65,986 | $79,409 |
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 $47,705 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)
= $47,705 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920)
= $53,481 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 37.3% initially employed in this field, followed by 30.4% and 16.9% in similar roles. This concentration suggests a robust demand for biology technicians within healthcare, which can lead to job stability. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.3 years, indicating that while the initial investment in education may take over a decade to recoup, the long-term financial benefits and job opportunities in the health sector present a favorable return on investment for graduates.
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Other Degrees at Saint Louis Community 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.