ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Tyler Junior College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Tyler Junior College earn a median salary of $69,644 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $75,618. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.7 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$53,797

Typical Career

$69,644

Top Performers

$81,847

Estimated break-even: 5.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$464

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,804. Most students can comfortably afford about a $464 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.6%
Educational Services 12.9%
Retail Trade 7.7%

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

$75,618

Nominal: $69,644 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).

5.7 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 $47,566 $60,899 $74,688
5 Years After Graduation $53,797 $69,644 $81,847
10 Years After Graduation $57,159 $70,227 $83,869

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 $69,644 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)
= $69,644 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $75,618 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program at Tyler Junior College can expect a favorable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $60,899, increasing to $69,644 after five years and reaching $70,227 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $75,617.81, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive income relative to the national average despite the cost of living in Texas being slightly lower than the national index.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 81.7% of graduates finding employment in this field. This concentration reflects strong demand for dental support services professionals. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 5.7 years, suggesting a solid return on investment for those pursuing this educational path. Overall, the data indicates that a career in Dental Support Services and Allied Professions offers both stability and growth potential in a robust industry.

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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.