ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from University of Alabama in Huntsville earn a median salary of $67,821 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in AL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $76,895. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.9 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

$52,003

Typical Career

$67,821

Top Performers

$83,113

Estimated break-even: 6.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$452

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,652. Most students can comfortably afford about a $452 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Alabama buys what costs $0.88 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 31.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 23.1%
Manufacturing 13.0%

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

$76,895

Nominal: $67,821 in Alabama (COL 88.2% of national avg) · 13.4% 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).

6.9 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 $33,548 $45,574 $57,809
5 Years After Graduation $52,003 $67,821 $83,113
10 Years After Graduation $63,082 $86,622 $111,756

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 $67,821 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in AL, which has a cost-of-living index of 88.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,821 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8820) = $76,895 National Average equivalent.

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

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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.