Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at Des Moines Area Community College
IA · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.10
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree from Des Moines Area Community College earn a median salary of $55,261 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $61,952. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.3 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
$46,012
Typical Career
$55,261
Top Performers
$65,486
Estimated break-even: 9.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$368
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,605. Most students can comfortably afford about a $368 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 Iowa buys what costs $0.89 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Finance & Insurance, Retail Trade.
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
$61,952
Nominal: $55,261 in Iowa (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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 | $42,916 | $49,802 | $55,542 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $46,012 | $55,261 | $65,486 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $47,392 | $61,769 | $77,465 |
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 $55,261 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IA, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,261 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920)
= $61,952 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 57.2% of them working in this field, followed by significant percentages in related areas. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this path over a high-school-only route is approximately 116.8 years, indicating a long-term investment in education. While the initial earnings may not be significantly high, the steady growth in salary suggests a potential for improved financial stability over time, particularly within a robust job market in health care.
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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.