Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at Pensacola State College

Pensacola State College's dental support program starts with decent first-year earnings at $46,690, but there's a troubling pattern in the data: graduates earn about $7,000 less by their fourth year. That backward slide is particularly concerning when you see that other Florida community colleges—like Palm Beach State and Daytona State—report graduates earning over $63,000, roughly $17,000 more than what Pensacola's early-career alumni make. Among Florida's 23 dental support programs, this one ranks in the bottom quarter for earnings.

The debt load is manageable at $10,000, well below both state and national medians, which keeps the program from being a complete red flag. But low debt doesn't compensate for earnings that fall short of what dental assistants and hygienists typically make in Florida, where the state median sits at $57,278. The declining earnings trajectory suggests either limited advancement opportunities for graduates or possibly workforce challenges in the Pensacola market specifically.

For a student committed to dental support careers and specifically wanting to stay in the Pensacola area, this program won't bury them in debt. But families should seriously investigate why graduates earn so much less than their peers at other Florida colleges—and whether relocating after graduation to higher-paying markets elsewhere in the state might be necessary to reach typical earning potential.