ROI Major

Chemistry at University of Texas of the Permian Basin

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 40.05

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Chemistry degree from University of Texas of the Permian Basin earn a median salary of $91,143 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $98,961. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.8 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$57,991

Typical Career

$91,143

Top Performers

$111,872

Estimated break-even: 4.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$608

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,595. Most students can comfortably afford about a $608 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x 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: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 35.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.4%
Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction 7.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$98,961

Nominal: $91,143 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).

4.8 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 $32,953 $52,165 $68,626
5 Years After Graduation $57,991 $91,143 $111,872
10 Years After Graduation $57,619 $79,787 $136,177

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 $91,143 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)
= $91,143 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $98,961 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a Chemistry degree from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $52,165, which increases significantly to $91,143 five years post-graduation. However, by the ten-year mark, the median earnings drop to $79,787. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reaches an equivalent of $98,960.91 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (35.4%), Health Care & Social Assistance (13.4%), and Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction (7.7%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that a Chemistry degree offers various career pathways, enhancing overall job security. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 4.8 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Chemistry appears favorable, particularly given the potential for higher earnings in the long term.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Chemistry degree at University of Texas of the Permian Basin stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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