The Best-Paying Jobs You Can Get With an Associate Degree

While four-year degrees may open a certain number of job prospects, they are not the only degrees that make a person employable. An associate degree, which typically takes two years to earn, can go a long way toward providing not only a stable job but one with good pay.

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To determine the best-paying jobs you can get with an associate degree, GOBankingRates used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook data to select all occupations that required an associate degree for entry-level education requirement. Then, GOBankingRates searched the 30 qualifying occupations for key information, including 2020 median pay. Take a look at the best-paying jobs you can get with an associate degree.

• Agricultural and Food Science Technicians: $41,970
• Environmental Science Protection Technicians: $46,850
• Broadcast Technicians: $47,420
• Desktop Publishers: $47,560
• Embalmers: $47,630

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• Chemical Technicians: $49,820
• Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides: $49,970
• Geological and Hydrologic Technicians: $50,630
• Medical Equipment Repairers: $51,610
• Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians: $51,630

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• Paralegals and Legal Assistants: $52,920
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians: $54,080
• Computer Network Support Specialists: $55,510
• Radio, Cellular and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers: $57,720
• Drafters: $57,960

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• Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians: $58,230
• Electro-mechanical Technicians: $59,800
• Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides: $60,950
• Respiratory Therapists: $62,810
• Calibration Technologists and Technicians and Engineering Technologists and Technicians: $64,190

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• Avionics Technicians: $66,680
• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians: $68,570
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians: $70,380
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers: $70,380
• Dental Hygienists: $77,090

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• Web Developers and Digital Interface Designers: $77,200
• Nuclear Medicine Technologists: $79,590
• Nuclear Technicians: $84,190
• Radiation Therapists: $86,850
• Air Traffic Controllers: $130,420

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Methodology: For this piece GOBankingRates used the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook data and isolated all occupations that required an Associate’s Degree for entry-level education requirement. GOBankingRates further isolated the field to also include “None” under work experience in a related occupation. With these occupations isolated GOBankingRates found he following for the 30 qualifying occupations: (1) occupation name; (2) on-the-job training required; (3) 2020 median pay; and (4) job outlook (percentage growth) for 2019-2029. All data was collected and is up to date as of July 21, 2021.