ROI Major

Agricultural Production Operations at University of Wyoming

WY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 01.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Agricultural Production Operations degree from University of Wyoming earn a median salary of $57,471 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $61,730. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.1 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$45,014

Typical Career

$57,471

Top Performers

$70,298

Estimated break-even: 9.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$383

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,789. Most students can comfortably afford about a $383 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 24.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 21.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 12.1%

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

$61,730

Nominal: $57,471 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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).

9.1 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 $29,296 $38,416 $48,487
5 Years After Graduation $45,014 $57,471 $70,298
10 Years After Graduation $63,610 $73,157 $92,787

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 $57,471 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $57,471 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310) = $61,730 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Agricultural Production Operations from the University of Wyoming experience a positive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $38,416 one year after graduation, increasing to $57,471 after five years, and reaching $73,157 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $61,730.4 on a national scale, indicating that graduates can expect a competitive salary relative to their peers across the country, especially considering Wyoming's cost of living index of 0.931 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Educational Services (24.1%), Health Care & Social Assistance (21.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (12.1%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 9.1 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial outcomes indicate that a degree in Agricultural Production Operations can provide a solid foundation for a sustainable career path.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Agricultural Production Operations degree at University of Wyoming 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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