Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Columbus State Community College
OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.06
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Columbus State Community College earn a median salary of $62,535 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $69,406. The degree typically pays for itself in 7 years.
Quick Insights
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
$48,487
Typical Career
$62,535
Top Performers
$74,837
Estimated break-even: 7 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$417
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,211. Most students can comfortably afford about a $417 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$69,406
Nominal: $62,535 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).
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 | $39,731 | $58,332 | $69,703 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $48,487 | $62,535 | $74,837 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $44,230 | $62,322 | $76,204 |
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 $62,535 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)
= $62,535 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010)
= $69,406 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 33.2%, 26.2%, and 24.1% of graduates finding employment in these fields, respectively. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this program compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 34.7 years, suggesting a long-term investment in education. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the trajectory and industry demand indicate a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing careers in dental support services.
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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.