Legal Support Services at Midland College
TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 22.03
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Legal Support Services degree from Midland College earn a median salary of $48,829 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,017. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.3 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
$37,075
Typical Career
$48,829
Top Performers
$71,155
Estimated break-even: 12.3 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$326
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,069. Most students can comfortably afford about a $326 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction.
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
$53,017
Nominal: $48,829 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).
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 | $30,437 | $42,273 | $57,372 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $37,075 | $48,829 | $71,155 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $37,132 | $57,867 | $108,135 |
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 $48,829 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)
= $48,829 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210)
= $53,017 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 77.4% of them finding employment in this area. The significant concentration in this industry suggests a strong demand for legal support services within health-related fields. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately ten years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this program appears favorable, especially given the upward trajectory of earnings and the stability offered by the top industries.
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Other Degrees at Midland College
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.