ROI Major

Health and Medical Administrative Services at Lewis and Clark Community College

IL · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.07

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health and Medical Administrative Services degree from Lewis and Clark Community College earn a median salary of $32,687 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,607. The degree typically pays for itself in 49.7 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$27,237

Typical Career

$32,687

Top Performers

$41,019

Estimated break-even: 49.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$218

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,724. Most students can comfortably afford about a $218 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Manufacturing.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 34.7%
Educational Services 9.3%
Manufacturing 7.4%

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

$35,607

Nominal: $32,687 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% 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).

49.7 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 $23,097 $27,622 $34,351
5 Years After Graduation $27,237 $32,687 $41,019
10 Years After Graduation $33,372 $43,722 $65,590

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 $32,687 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $32,687 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $35,607 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Health and Medical Administrative Services program at Lewis and Clark Community College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,237, rising to $35,145 after five years, and reaching $38,279 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $38,284.31, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth in real income over time.

The majority of graduates find employment within the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 34.7% of job placements, with subsequent percentages of 30.4% and 25.5% in similar roles. However, the estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, suggesting a longer return on investment. Students should weigh the potential for career advancement and salary growth against the time required to recoup educational costs.

Compare with Another School

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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.