How to Turn $8,600 into $60,000 a Year
The headline is not some tricky sales technique. It was designed to grab the attention of all potential students to deliver this message: Not all professions require a 4 year degree and there are some where the pay difference between a bachelor’s degree and associate degree is negligible. Compared to the cost of a bachelors degree, earning an Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene is one of the best education values available.
Predicting Your Future
A dental hygiene degree is usually one of the more challenging community college programs offered. Careers that are consistently high paying demand more effort from the student. There is an old saying that, “The best way to predict the future is the create it”. Never has that been truer than when choosing which direction to take your education. Students often choose something because their friends are doing it or their parents gave them counsel. A few may think outside the box and look to predict their future with a psychic reading. In the end, the method used to choose an education path is not nearly as important as the direction. Making a good decision will help you to predict your future.
A Strong Career
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics the job growth for dental hygienists is expected to be much faster than expected. In 2010 the average pay for a dental hygienist was over $68,000. This is an incredible return on an education that costs less than most motorcycles and takes only 2 years to finish. Most jobs are found within a dentist office where the hours are typically 9 to 5 and weekends are off. If a dental hygienist wants to work in research, teaching or practice in a school health program they may need a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
What makes this degree so enticing is the cost of becoming a dental hygienist is roughly $8,600 in the Chicago area. If a student is awarded a Pell grant the total bill may drop to only $7,000. With a bachelor’s degree costing upwards of $40,000 and with the salary being the same, a community college degree in dental hygiene is an incredible bargain. In addition, a community college graduate can begin earning an income 2 years sooner than a student in a bachelor’s degree program.
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