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Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 at College of the Mainland

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.39

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 degree from College of the Mainland earn a median salary of $72,585 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $78,811. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.8 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

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

$53,167

Typical Career

$72,585

Top Performers

$92,673

Estimated break-even: 6.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$484

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,049. Most students can comfortably afford about a $484 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x 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, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 72.4%
Educational Services 12.9%
Retail Trade 3.7%

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

$78,811

Nominal: $72,585 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).

6.8 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 $31,499 $40,342 $51,562
5 Years After Graduation $53,167 $72,585 $92,673
10 Years After Graduation $64,402 $82,803 $102,218

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 $72,585 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)
= $72,585 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $78,811 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Health Professions and Related Programs at College of the Mainland can expect a significant increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $40,342, which rises to $72,585 after five years and reaches $82,803 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $78,811.07, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards, despite the lower cost of living in Texas.

The primary industries where graduates find employment are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 72.4% of placements, with an additional 20.6% in the same sector and 19.9% in Manufacturing. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 6.8 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing this program. Overall, the data indicates that a career in health professions offers both solid earnings potential and a stable job market.

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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.