Dental Support Services and Allied Professions: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 598 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Dental Support Services and Allied Professions pays
Career outlook for Dental Support Services and Allied Professions graduates
The job market for the occupations Dental Support Services and Allied Professions graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental assistants | 381,900 | +6.4% | $47,300 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 289,600 | +17.3% | $105,620 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Dental hygienists | 221,600 | +7.0% | $94,260 | Associate's degree |
| Dental laboratory technicians | 35,200 | -4.7% | $48,310 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions vs similar majors
How Dental Support Services and Allied Professions stacks up against the closest fields in Health Professions & Nursing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Health Professions & Nursing · this major | Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Medicine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 25 F | 80 A | 80 A | 80 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $42,686 | $226,546 | $214,065 | $162,555 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $38,416 | $212,530 | $166,304 | $65,892 |
| ROI vs cost | -130% | +1,129% | +1,565% | +708% |
| Typical debt | $13,207 | $207,643 | $81,076 | $201,913 |
| Colleges offering it | 598 | 33 | 6 | 155 |
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middlesex College Edison, NJ | Certificate | $69,798 | — | +10,738% | Strong return |
| 2 | Cerritos College Norwalk, CA | Certificate | $61,556 | — | +6,730% | Strong return |
| 3 | Wayne Community College Goldsboro, NC | Certificate | $59,868 | — | +6,523% | Strong return |
| 4 | West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA | Certificate | $57,355 | — | +4,929% | Strong return |
| 5 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA | Certificate | $76,602 | — | +4,536% | Strong return |
| 6 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL | Certificate | $63,386 | — | +4,354% | Strong return |
| 7 | Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC | Certificate | $59,661 | — | +4,283% | Strong return |
| 8 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA | Certificate | $72,062 | — | +4,175% | Strong return |
| 9 | Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC | Certificate | $60,043 | — | +4,091% | Strong return |
| 10 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX | Certificate | $71,414 | — | +4,034% | Strong return |
| 11 | Chabot College Hayward, CA | Certificate | $80,515 | — | +3,823% | Strong return |
| 12 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX | Certificate | $60,094 | — | +3,380% | Strong return |
| 13 | Houston City College Houston, TX | Certificate | $64,875 | — | +3,364% | Strong return |
| 14 | Wharton County Junior College Wharton, TX | Certificate | $61,138 | — | +3,359% | Strong return |
| 15 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC | Certificate | $59,338 | — | +3,348% | Strong return |
| 16 | Columbus Technical College Columbus, GA | Certificate | $57,864 | — | +3,115% | Strong return |
| 17 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA | Certificate | $71,633 | — | +3,102% | Strong return |
| 18 | Savannah Technical College Savannah, GA | Certificate | $64,165 | — | +3,035% | Strong return |
| 19 | Laramie County Community College Cheyenne, WY | Certificate | $67,590 | — | +3,000% | Strong return |
| 20 | Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL | Certificate | $73,447 | — | +2,998% | Strong return |
| 21 | El Paso Community College El Paso, TX | Certificate | $54,817 | — | +2,962% | Strong return |
| 22 | Pima Community College Tucson, AZ | Certificate | $64,067 | $8,731 | +2,795% | Strong return |
| 23 | Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL | Certificate | $65,662 | — | +2,751% | Strong return |
| 24 | College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, NV | Certificate | $63,585 | — | +2,710% | Strong return |
| 25 | Yakima Valley College Yakima, WA | Certificate | $75,257 | — | +2,455% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.