ROI Major

Industrial Production Technologies at Valdosta State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 15.06

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Industrial Production Technologies degree from Valdosta State University earn a median salary of $61,332 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,770. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 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

$45,600

Typical Career

$61,332

Top Performers

$82,210

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$409

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,111. Most students can comfortably afford about a $409 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 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 27.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.3%

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

$67,770

Nominal: $61,332 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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).

7.5 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 $39,154 $53,781 $69,042
5 Years After Graduation $45,600 $61,332 $82,210
10 Years After Graduation $49,855 $65,986 $91,723

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 $61,332 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $61,332 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $67,770 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Industrial Production Technologies program at Valdosta State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $53,781, increasing to $61,332 after five years and reaching $65,986 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $67,770.17, reflecting the program's competitive edge in the job market, especially given Georgia's lower cost of living index (0.905) compared to the national average.

The program's graduates predominantly enter sectors such as Educational Services (27.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (19.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.3%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 7.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment appears favorable. This suggests that pursuing a degree in Industrial Production Technologies can lead to significant long-term financial benefits and career opportunities in diverse industries.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Industrial Production Technologies degree at Valdosta State University 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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