Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Jefferson State Community College

Jefferson State graduates in allied health programs earn around $52,000 in their first year—ranking solidly in the 60th percentile among Alabama's 18 similar programs. That's nearly $6,000 above the state median, though still trailing a few other community colleges like Lurleen B Wallace. The concerning pattern here is that earnings actually slip by about 3% over four years rather than climbing, which is unusual for healthcare fields where experience typically commands higher pay. This could reflect graduates moving between different allied health roles or changing employers for non-financial reasons.

The debt picture is reasonable: $17,875 represents just 34 cents for every dollar earned in year one, well below the concerning threshold. That's exactly the state median debt for this program type, and graduates are starting with manageable loan payments relative to their income. For a field that typically offers stable employment in Birmingham's healthcare market, this level of borrowing shouldn't keep most families up at night.

If your child is choosing between Alabama community colleges for an allied health associate's, Jefferson State sits in the upper tier of options—better than most but not quite best-in-state. The real question is whether the slight earnings dip signals anything about local job market dynamics or the specific allied health concentration they're pursuing. For an affordable entry into healthcare with solid starting pay, this works, but don't expect the typical trajectory of growing earnings with experience.