ROI Major

Health and Medical Administrative Services at Washington County Community College

ME · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Medical Administrative Services degree from Washington County Community College earn a median salary of $34,211 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ME, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $30,062. The degree typically pays for itself in 1131.5 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$25,880

Typical Career

$34,211

Top Performers

$41,875

Estimated break-even: 1131.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$228

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,851. Most students can comfortably afford about a $228 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Maine buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Construction, Retail Trade, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Construction 20.1%
Retail Trade 17.5%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.7%

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

$30,062

Nominal: $34,211 in Maine (COL 113.8% of national avg) · 12.1% lower 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).

1131.5 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 $23,771 $30,393 $36,620
5 Years After Graduation $25,880 $34,211 $41,875
10 Years After Graduation $30,889 $38,967 $45,638

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 $34,211 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ME, which has a cost-of-living index of 113.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $34,211 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1380) = $30,062 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Health and Medical Administrative Services program at Washington County Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $30,393, rising to $34,211 after five years and reaching $38,967 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $30,062.39, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth in real terms over time.

The primary industries where graduates find employment include Health Care & Social Assistance (30.9%), Construction (20.1%), and Retail Trade (17.5%). However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 1,131.5 years, suggesting a lengthy return on investment for those pursuing this degree. This extended timeline may prompt students to weigh the long-term benefits against the immediate financial implications of their educational choices.

Compare with Another School

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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.