ROI Major

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at University of Maine - Augusta

ME · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.06

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree from University of Maine - Augusta earn a median salary of $58,913 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ME, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $51,769. The degree typically pays for itself in 8.5 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$45,049

Typical Career

$58,913

Top Performers

$70,929

Estimated break-even: 8.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$393

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,909. Most students can comfortably afford about a $393 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Maine buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 48.9%
Educational Services 8.8%
Public Administration 8.5%

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

$51,769

Nominal: $58,913 in Maine (COL 113.8% of national avg) · 12.1% lower 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).

8.5 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 $38,930 $53,045 $65,662
5 Years After Graduation $45,049 $58,913 $70,929
10 Years After Graduation $45,075 $57,703 $70,393

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 $58,913 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ME, which has a cost-of-living index of 113.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $58,913 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1380) = $51,769 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions program at the University of Maine - Augusta experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $53,045, increasing to $58,913 five years later. However, there is a slight decline to $57,703 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $51,768.89 nationally, indicating that while initial earnings are promising, long-term purchasing power may be impacted by regional cost-of-living factors.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 48.9% employed in this field one year after graduation. This trend continues with 34.8% and 19.4% remaining in similar roles five and ten years later, respectively. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 8.5 years, suggesting that while the program offers a solid return on investment, students should consider the time required to surpass earnings from a high school diploma. Overall, the program presents a viable career path within a stable industry, albeit with a moderate long-term financial outlook.

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See how the Dental Support Services and Allied Professions degree at University of Maine - Augusta stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.