Program Payoff

Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies: what it pays, state by state

10 states teach this at certificate or associate level. The work pays most in New York, at a median of $207,860 a year.

StateWhat the work paysSchoolsReporting earnings
New York$207,86010
California$195,08010
Massachusetts$176,68010
Illinois$160,80010
Pennsylvania$157,18020
Minnesota$155,14010
Texas$154,20010
Missouri$133,45010
Ohio$131,02030
South Dakota$102,04020

A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.

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Programs: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10. Occupation wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.