Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services at Northwest College
WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 01.05
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services degree from Northwest College earn a median salary of $29,557 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $31,748. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 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
$21,570
Typical Career
$29,557
Top Performers
$38,672
Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.
Debt-to-Income Check
$197
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,463. Most students can comfortably afford about a $197 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 Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, 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
$31,748
Nominal: $29,557 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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 | $18,676 | $24,291 | $30,018 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $21,570 | $29,557 | $38,672 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $29,116 | $37,592 | $53,814 |
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 $29,557 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $29,557 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310)
= $31,748 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries employing graduates include Educational Services (41.7%) and Health Care & Social Assistance (23.9% and 22.9%). This diverse employment landscape suggests that graduates can find opportunities in various sectors, particularly in education and health-related fields. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, indicating a longer return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Prospective students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectory in this field.
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Other Degrees at Northwest 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.