ROI Major

Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Pennsylvania State University (The)

PA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions degree from Pennsylvania State University (The) earn a median salary of $57,471 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in PA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,584. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.5 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$48,246

Typical Career

$57,471

Top Performers

$73,052

Estimated break-even: 10.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$383

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,789. Most students can comfortably afford about a $383 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Pennsylvania buys what costs $0.98 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 21.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.7%
Educational Services 12.1%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$58,584

Nominal: $57,471 in Pennsylvania (COL 98.1% of national avg) · 1.9% 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).

10.5 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 $22,385 $28,276 $39,655
5 Years After Graduation $48,246 $57,471 $73,052
10 Years After Graduation $55,464 $66,779 $89,880

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 $57,471 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in PA, which has a cost-of-living index of 98.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $57,471 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9810) = $58,584 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Pennsylvania State University experience a significant increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,276, which rises to $57,471 after five years and reaches $66,779 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary is approximately $58,584.1, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market relative to national averages, despite a cost of living index slightly below the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (21.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (12.7%), and Educational Services (12.1%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.5 years, suggesting a reasonable return on investment for pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects in these sectors appear promising, providing a solid foundation for long-term financial stability and growth.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions degree at Pennsylvania State University (The) stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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