ROI Major

Health and Medical Administrative Services at Washington State Community College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Medical Administrative Services degree from Washington State Community College earn a median salary of $32,154 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,687. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 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

$26,348

Typical Career

$32,154

Top Performers

$39,139

Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.

Debt-to-Income Check

$214

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,680. Most students can comfortably afford about a $214 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.0%
Manufacturing 7.8%
Retail Trade 7.3%

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

$35,687

Nominal: $32,154 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

>10 years (extrapolated) 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 $21,590 $26,571 $31,937
5 Years After Graduation $26,348 $32,154 $39,139
10 Years After Graduation $29,985 $36,151 $45,505

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 $32,154 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $32,154 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $35,687 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 State Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $26,571, rising to $32,154 five years later, and reaching $36,151 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $35,687.01, suggesting that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth as graduates gain experience in the field.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 71.3% finding employment in this industry. This trend indicates a strong demand for professionals in health administration roles. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, which may impact the overall return on investment for prospective students. Therefore, while the field offers stable employment opportunities, graduates should consider the long-term financial implications of their educational investment.

Compare with Another School

See how the Health and Medical Administrative Services degree at Washington State Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Health and Medical Administrative Services at Washington State Community College.

Apply to Washington State Community College

Explore More

Other Degrees at Washington State Community College

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.