ROI Major

Human Resources Management and Services at Bowling Green State University

OH · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 52.10

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Human Resources Management and Services degree from Bowling Green State University earn a median salary of $63,270 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $70,222. 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

$49,118

Typical Career

$63,270

Top Performers

$79,787

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$422

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,273. Most students can comfortably afford about a $422 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 Ohio buys what costs $0.90 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 23.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.3%

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

$70,222

Nominal: $63,270 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).

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 $34,275 $44,398 $56,295
5 Years After Graduation $49,118 $63,270 $79,787
10 Years After Graduation $57,175 $84,610 $110,004

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 $63,270 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)
= $63,270 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $70,222 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Human Resources Management and Services from Bowling Green State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $44,398, which increases to $63,270 after five years and reaches $84,610 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $70,221.98, indicating that graduates can expect their earnings to maintain a competitive edge relative to national averages, particularly given Ohio's lower cost of living index.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (23.3%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.3%). This distribution suggests a diverse range of opportunities within stable sectors. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 7.5 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing a degree in this field. Overall, the career prospects and financial outcomes for graduates appear favorable, supporting the decision to enter this profession.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the Human Resources Management and Services degree at Bowling Green 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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