Dental Support Services and Allied Professions: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 51.06. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,188 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 658 | 14,685 | $30,575 | $33,673 | $9,500 266 programs |
| Associate's degree | 404 | 7,435 | $62,279 | $61,982 | $19,602 180 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 102 | 2,470 | $69,638 | $68,061 | $23,238 74 programs |
| Master's degree | 19 | 111 | $74,816 | $76,062 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 5 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo Community College CO · Public · 27 graduates measured | $74,637 | $64,622 | $17,375 |
| Sinclair Community College OH · Public · 35 graduates measured | $52,041 | $50,731 | $10,250 |
| Hennepin Technical College MN · Public · 26 graduates measured | $51,613 | Data unavailable | $9,500 |
| Century College MN · Public · 21 graduates measured | $50,150 | $51,789 | $13,375 |
| Minneapolis Community and Technical College MN · Public · 21 graduates measured | $47,907 | $54,292 | $22,779 |
| Herzing University-Minneapolis MN · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $47,095 | $46,834 | $16,991 |
| Herzing University-Madison WI · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $47,095 | $46,834 | $16,991 |
| Dakota County Technical College MN · Public · 33 graduates measured | $46,576 | $54,981 | $12,649 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College MN · Public · 26 graduates measured | $43,005 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Central Lakes College-Brainerd MN · Public · 27 graduates measured | $42,804 | $39,717 | $6,868 |
| Central Oregon Community College OR · Public · 18 graduates measured | $42,786 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rowan-Cabarrus Community College NC · Public · 17 graduates measured | $42,522 | $45,203 | Data unavailable |
| Middlesex Community College MA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $42,063 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Wake Technical Community College NC · Public · 30 graduates measured | $41,761 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Phoenix College AZ · Public · 24 graduates measured | $40,630 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pima Medical Institute-Tucson AZ · Private, for-profit · 125 graduates measured | $96,312 | $87,092 | $32,500 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Seattle WA · Private, for-profit · 125 graduates measured | $96,312 | $87,092 | $32,500 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Houston TX · Private, for-profit · 125 graduates measured | $96,312 | $87,092 | $32,500 |
| College of Southern Nevada NV · Public · 18 graduates measured | $95,035 | $76,943 | Data unavailable |
| Fortis Institute-Wayne NJ · Private, for-profit · 44 graduates measured | $92,734 | $93,127 | $27,255 |
| Fortis College-Landover MD · Private, for-profit · 44 graduates measured | $92,734 | $93,127 | $27,255 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $89,046 | $68,316 | Data unavailable |
| Community College of Denver CO · Public · 32 graduates measured | $87,752 | $90,193 | $21,000 |
| Northern Virginia Community College VA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $87,357 | $91,137 | $21,000 |
| Mt Hood Community College OR · Public · 35 graduates measured | $86,869 | $81,207 | $17,500 |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $84,882 | $71,867 | Data unavailable |
| Tulsa Community College OK · Public · 20 graduates measured | $83,693 | $82,742 | Data unavailable |
| Concorde Career College-Garden Grove CA · Private, for-profit · 65 graduates measured | $82,504 | $87,550 | $30,500 |
| Middlesex College NJ · Public · 20 graduates measured | $82,478 | $81,043 | $21,000 |
| Concorde Career College-Aurora CO · Private, for-profit · 162 graduates measured | $82,129 | $78,753 | $25,250 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology WA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $106,697 | $85,286 | $16,300 |
| Pierce College District WA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $97,252 | Data unavailable | $25,000 |
| University of the Pacific CA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $93,453 | $86,150 | $25,000 |
| Columbia Basin College WA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $88,015 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pacific University OR · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $87,037 | $78,641 | $25,000 |
| Farmingdale State College NY · Public · 24 graduates measured | $86,782 | $70,853 | Data unavailable |
| West Coast University-Texas TX · Private, for-profit · 112 graduates measured | $83,943 | $85,797 | $29,875 |
| West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County CA · Private, for-profit · 112 graduates measured | $83,943 | $85,797 | $29,875 |
| Loma Linda University CA · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $82,823 | $79,207 | $25,000 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University VA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $82,598 | $78,231 | $24,000 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 48 graduates measured | $81,319 | $76,078 | $25,000 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia CA · Private, for-profit · 37 graduates measured | $80,241 | Data unavailable | $28,235 |
| Eastern Washington University WA · Public · 60 graduates measured | $79,623 | $75,533 | $20,500 |
| Oregon Institute of Technology OR · Public · 81 graduates measured | $79,386 | $78,089 | $26,260 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 43 graduates measured | $79,059 | $70,132 | $15,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $93,587 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences MA · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $81,091 | $66,562 | Data unavailable |
| University of Bridgeport CT · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $70,137 | $70,430 | Data unavailable |
| Old Dominion University VA · Public · 52 graduates measured | $60,518 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $107,310 | +17.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Dental hygienists | $98,100 | +8.0% | Associate's degree |
| Dental assistants | $48,070 | +7.4% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Dental laboratory technicians | $49,610 | -5.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 51.0601 Dental Assisting/Assistant
- 51.0602 Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
- 51.0603 Dental Laboratory Technology/Technician
- 51.0699 Dental Services and Allied Professions, Other