ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Lamar Institute of Technology

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from Lamar Institute of Technology earn a median salary of $67,162 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $72,923. The degree typically pays for itself in 6 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

$52,221

Typical Career

$67,162

Top Performers

$81,315

Estimated break-even: 6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$448

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,597. Most students can comfortably afford about a $448 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x 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: Manufacturing, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Manufacturing 27.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 23.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.2%

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

$72,923

Nominal: $67,162 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 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 $45,671 $60,970 $75,598
5 Years After Graduation $52,221 $67,162 $81,315
10 Years After Graduation $51,434 $65,767 $78,238

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 $67,162 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)
= $67,162 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $72,923 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program at Lamar Institute of Technology can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $60,970, increasing to $67,162 five years later. However, by the ten-year mark, median earnings slightly decrease to $65,767. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $72,922.91, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to the cost of living in Texas.

The primary industries where graduates find employment are Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 59.7% of placements, and Manufacturing at 27.3%. With 23.6% also entering Health Care & Social Assistance, the program demonstrates a strong alignment with sectors that are consistently in demand. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately six years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for students pursuing this program appears favorable, suggesting that the program offers a viable pathway to stable employment and earnings growth.

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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.