Geographic Information Science Degree in Huntington Beach, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Huntington Beach, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$84K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$131K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5 yrs
in Huntington Beach
Cost of Living
168.5
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Huntington Beach, CA Overview
Huntington Beach, California (pop. 198,711) has 8 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 168.5 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $2,880/month. Geographic Information Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS Software and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Huntington Beach is approximately $84,250, growing to $131,430 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$14,500/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$17,049/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,141/yr
Unemployment
5.4%
Graduation Rate
73%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Huntington Beach (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Huntington Beach's cost of living index of 168.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Huntington Beach adjustment factor: 1.69x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Huntington Beach
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Huntington Beach tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,500 | Private avg: $42,000
Huntington Beach avg aid: $8,141/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$126,196
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$25,275
vs HS diploma in Huntington Beach
ROI Payback Period
5 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Huntington Beach
$716,304
Lifetime earnings premium ($842,500) minus total education cost ($126,196)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Huntington Beach
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Huntington Beach for Geographic Information Science
Huntington Beach State University
public
$13,570/yr
$54,280 total
University of Huntington Beach
public
$16,348/yr
$65,392 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Huntington Beach Community College
$7,272/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Huntington Beach Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$71K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$70K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$57K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Huntington Beach
Prompt Engineering
$84K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$160K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$143K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$148K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$138K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$143K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$84K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$135K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Huntington Beach — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Geographic Information Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Huntington Beach.