ROI Major

Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies at Weatherford College

TX · Certificate Degree · CIP 01.83

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies degree from Weatherford College earn a median salary of $33,372 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $36,235. The degree typically pays for itself in 49.3 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

$24,266

Typical Career

$33,372

Top Performers

$46,606

Estimated break-even: 49.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$222

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,781. Most students can comfortably afford about a $222 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.4%
Public Administration 20.7%
Retail Trade 5.7%

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

$36,235

Nominal: $33,372 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).

49.3 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 $22,528 $27,237 $33,607
5 Years After Graduation $24,266 $33,372 $46,606
10 Years After Graduation $34,473 $43,722 $54,051

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 $33,372 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)
= $33,372 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $36,235 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies program at Weatherford College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,237, rising to $33,372 after five years and reaching $43,722 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $36,234.53, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth that aligns with inflation and cost of living adjustments.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 37.7% and 37.4% of employment, followed by Public Administration at 20.7%. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 49.3 years, suggesting that while the program may lead to stable employment in essential industries, the return on investment may take considerable time to realize. Prospective students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectory in veterinary and animal health technologies.

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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.