Asked by bob

Niah works as a retail sales clerk earning $18,000 per year. She plans to go to school for medical billing that has a median salary of $35,000. The cost of her education will be $20,000. If Niah does not work for the 2 years that she is in school, about how long will it take her to recover her investment if she gets a medical billing job making the median salary when she graduates?
a.
less than 1 year
b.
1.2 years
c.
1.6 years
d.
3.3 years

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Current yearly pay = $18,000.
Lost wages during 2 years in school = 2 × $18,000 = $36,000.
Tuition cost = $20,000.
Total investment = $36,000 + $20,000 = $56,000.

Annual increase after graduating = $35,000 − $18,000 = $17,000.
Recovery time = $56,000 ÷ $17,000 ≈ 3.294 ≈ 3.3 years.

Answer: d. 3.3 years.