About 28% of workers with associate degrees earn more than the median earnings of workers with bachelor’s degrees. Here are some of those top paying jobs.
Education can be expensive, but it has great value beyond money. A well-rounded education teaches you more than just how to do a job. It teaches you life skills, appreciation for the sciences, art, music and nature, and how to be a more informed and productive member of society. (It also teaches you why those things matter.)
But education costs money, and recent student-loan forgiveness does little to help future college students avoid the burden of costly debt.
The cost of a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution now averages $16,647 a year for tuition and fees, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But the cost of an associate degree tuition and fees averages $3,621 a year.
So a two-year degree can cost you less than $7,300 (not including room and board) but a four-year degree could cost you over $66,500. You’d also spend two more years not earning a salary. Factor in the student-loan interest over time, that can add up to a lot of money.
The median weekly earnings for someone holding an associate degree is $938 (or $48,776 a year) while a bachelor’s degree is $1,305, or $67,860 a year, according to the BLS.
Statistics do show that over their lifetime, those with bachelor’s degrees earn more–but it can depend on the job.
Having some postsecondary education, even without earning any degree, adds nearly a quarter of a million dollars to lifetime earnings, according to a report by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. Getting an associate degree adds a bump of nearly $200,000 in lifetime earnings.
And about 28% of workers with associate degrees earn more than the median earnings of workers with bachelor’s degrees, the report says.
Some low-paying college majors, such as fine arts or family & consumer sciences, pay median salaries of $38,000 to $32,000, respectively. That’s well below the median $67,860 for all bachelor’s holders.
So which are the high paying jobs for an associate degree?
We searched the BLS to create this list of jobs that pay more than $60,000 a year and only require an associate degree. Three of them pay more than $80,000. The list includes 2021 median pay, projected growth rates through 2031, and how much (if any) on-the-job training is required. (Don’t forget, on-the-job training pays you to learn.) We also added three jobs at the end that only require a high-school diploma that pay over $60,000 and even over $80,000 a year.
Air Traffic Controllers
Training: Long-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: Little or no change2021 median pay: $80,000 or more
Nuclear Technicians
Training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: DecliningProjected growth rate: Decline2021 median pay: $80,000 or more
Radiation Therapists
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $80,000 or more
Nuclear Medicine Technologists
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: Slower than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Dental Hygienists
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Faster than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Much faster than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Funeral Home Managers
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Avionics Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: DecliningProjected growth rate: Little or no change2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Computer Network Support Specialists
Training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Hydrologic Technicians
Training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: Little or no change2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: Slower than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Respiratory Therapists
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Much faster than average$60,000 to $79,999
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Much faster than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Electrical and Electronics Drafters
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: Little or no change2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Physical Therapist Assistants
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Much faster than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: Slower than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: DecliningProjected growth rate: Decline2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers
Training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: DecliningProjected growth rate: Little or no change2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Calibration Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 1,000 to 4,999Projected growth rate: Slower than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Mechanical Drafters
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: DecliningProjected growth rate: Decline2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
Here are three more occupations that pay more than $60,000 and only require a high-school diploma or equivalent.
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
High school diploma or equivalent
Training: NoneProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Faster than average2021 median pay: $80,000 or more
Subway and Streetcar Operators
High school diploma or equivalent
Training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: 0 to 999Projected growth rate: As fast as average2021 median pay: $80,000 or more
Flight Attendants
High school diploma or equivalent
Training: Moderate-term on-the-job trainingProjected number of new jobs: 10,000 to 49,999Projected growth rate: Much faster than average2021 median pay: $60,000 to $79,999
