ROI Major

Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Amarillo College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 13.12

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree from Amarillo College earn a median salary of $53,866 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,486. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.4 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

$38,295

Typical Career

$53,866

Top Performers

$62,087

Estimated break-even: 12.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$359

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,489. Most students can comfortably afford about a $359 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 41.8%
Educational Services 13.2%
Manufacturing 6.8%

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

$58,486

Nominal: $53,866 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).

12.4 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 $19,156 $25,459 $33,353
5 Years After Graduation $38,295 $53,866 $62,087
10 Years After Graduation $50,197 $61,332 $68,264

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 $53,866 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)
= $53,866 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $58,486 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods program at Amarillo College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $25,459, which increases significantly to $53,866 after five years and reaches $61,332 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $58,486.43 nationally, reflecting a competitive salary relative to the cost of living in Texas, where the cost of living index is 0.921 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates predominantly fall within Health Care & Social Assistance, with 59.1% entering this sector, followed by 41.8% and 24.2% in similar roles. This trend indicates a strong alignment between the program and the growing demand for educators in health-related fields. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 12.4 years, suggesting that while initial earnings may be lower, the long-term return on investment is favorable for those committed to the teaching profession.

Compare with Another School

See how the Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods degree at Amarillo College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Teacher Education, Specific Levels and Methods at Amarillo College.

Apply to Amarillo College

Explore More

Other Degrees at Amarillo 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.