ROI Major

Accounting and Related Services at Marion Technical College

OH · Associate's Degree · CIP 52.03

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Accounting and Related Services degree from Marion Technical College earn a median salary of $44,624 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,527. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.7 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

$30,961

Typical Career

$44,624

Top Performers

$56,574

Estimated break-even: 15.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$297

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,719. Most students can comfortably afford about a $297 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Manufacturing, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 51.1%
Manufacturing 11.1%
Public Administration 6.5%

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

$49,527

Nominal: $44,624 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).

15.7 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 $27,309 $36,156 $45,353
5 Years After Graduation $30,961 $44,624 $56,574
10 Years After Graduation $38,554 $54,286 $67,570

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 $44,624 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)
= $44,624 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $49,527 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of Accounting and Related Services at Marion Technical College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,156, which rises to $44,624 after five years and reaches $54,286 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $49,527.19, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in terms of real income relative to the national average.

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 51.1% of placements, followed by 47.4% and 20.9% in similar roles. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 15.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable. This trajectory suggests that students can expect a solid career foundation with opportunities for growth in a robust industry.

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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.