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Multi / Interdisciplinary · Gerontology Rank #2 of 5

Gerontologyat California State University-Sacramento

Graduates earn $38,461/yr in their first year — about 3.0% above the national Gerontology average. Base-case 10-year earnings $596K; scenarios range from $538K to $604K depending on AI disruption.

Sacramento, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
50 AVERAGE
51
Optimistic
49
Pessimistic
Earnings
$38,461
1-year post-graduation
ROI
19.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$596K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at CSU Sacramento

This Gerontology program at CSU Sacramento positions you well within a critical and growing field, particularly given California's large aging population. The regional demand, driven by numerous state and local agencies, healthcare providers, and non-profits, helps explain why graduates here tend to slightly outearn their peers nationally. You'll likely find opportunities in care coordination, program development for senior services, or advocacy roles within organizations like Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, or various state departments focused on public health and aging.

However, the identified high AI risk isn't about replacing the essential human connection in gerontology, but rather automating administrative tasks, data analysis, and resource allocation. This means your career will increasingly demand strong critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and an adaptable mindset to leverage technology, not be replaced by it. Consider specializing in areas like health informatics for seniors or policy development, where your human expertise complements emerging tech.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$538K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple17.7x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$596K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple19.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$604K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score51/100
Earnings Multiple19.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to CSU Sacramento's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Gerontology graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary
+17.3% 10-yr growth · 27,400 openings/yr
$105,620/yr
Moderate
2
Medical scientists, except epidemiologists
+8.7% 10-yr growth · 9,600 openings/yr
$100,590/yr
High
3
Social scientists and related workers, all other
-1.7% 10-yr growth · 3,200 openings/yr
$100,340/yr
High
4
Social work teachers, postsecondary
+2.3% 10-yr growth · 1,300 openings/yr
$76,210/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Gerontology

How CSU Sacramento stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Maryland Global Campus
MD · Public
53
DW Score
$44K
1-yr earn
17.4x
ROI
Kansas State University
KS · Public
48
DW Score
$38K
1-yr earn
14.3x
ROI
Same state (CA)
Ashford University
CA · Private for-profit
25
DW Score
$34K
1-yr earn
5.8x
ROI
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
29
DW Score
$33K
1-yr earn
7.2x
ROI
Also at CSU Sacramento

Other top programs at CSU Sacramento

Other highest-scoring programs offered at CSU Sacramento, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Gerontology at CSU Sacramento

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Gerontology at California State University-Sacramento?

A score of 50/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Gerontology field.

Will AI replace Gerontology careers?

With 49% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $538,064 in decade earnings vs $604,293 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.