For many, a two-year associate degree can be the ticket to higher earning power at an affordable price. Though some types of associate degrees can be a stepping stone to a bachelor's, others are geared toward middle-skilled careers that require specialized knowledge, such as criminal justice, cybersecurity, hospitality management, and more.
Across all fields of study, someone with a two-year degree can earn a median annual salary of $49,500 as of May 2024, around 18% more than that of a high school graduate. By comparison, bachelor's degree holders can earn a median salary of $66,600 but have to invest much more time—and money—into their degree.
According to March 2025 data from the Education Data Initiative, the total cost for a degree from a two-year in-district public college averages about $35,000, compared to nearly $109,000 for a bachelor's degree. And lower costs mean fewer student loans. Just 2 in 5 associate degree recipients took on student loan debt in the 2019-2020 school year (the most recent year with available data), compared to 64% of bachelor's degree students. The two-year degree holders who did use loans borrowed less money, incurring lower interest payments.
Despite the benefits of earning a two-year degree, the number of these credentials produced across the United States is lagging. A September 2024 study from Georgetown University forecasts a nationwide shortage of nearly 361,000 credentials to fill middle-skilled jobs through 2032. However, this could be good news for anyone holding one of these versatile degrees, since the number of available jobs may soon outnumber the employees qualified to work them.
In the meantime, Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Palm Bay for people with a two-year associate degree. The analysis also included jobs that listed a high school diploma, some college but no degree, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirement. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
Rido // Shutterstock
#50. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.37
- Total employment: 100 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
#49. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
#48. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $61,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: Not available
SatawatK // Shutterstock
#47. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $61,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 340 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
#46. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 2,150 people (8.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
#45. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 430 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
#44. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 110 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
#43. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $62,170
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
#41. Structural iron and steel workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 110 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
#41. Construction and building inspectors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 360 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
#40. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $63,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
#39. Legal support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,150
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
#38. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,200
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 360 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
#37. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $64,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 180 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
#36. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $65,550
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 60 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
#35. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $66,620
- Median hourly wage: $32.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
#34. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,240
- Median hourly wage: $32.33
- Total employment: 410 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
#33. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $68,150
- Median hourly wage: $32.77
- Total employment: 2,020 people (8.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
#32. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $68,570
- Median hourly wage: $32.96
- Total employment: 360 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
#30. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 1,020 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
#30. Avionics technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 200 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
#29. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $69,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 70 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
#28. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,630
- Median hourly wage: $33.48
- Total employment: 230 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
#27. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,060
- Median hourly wage: $33.68
- Total employment: 410 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
#26. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $70,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
#25. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $70,480
- Median hourly wage: $33.88
- Total employment: 140 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
#24. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $70,500
- Median hourly wage: $33.89
- Total employment: 340 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
#23. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $70,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.13
- Total employment: 240 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
#22. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $71,570
- Median hourly wage: $34.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
#21. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 80 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
First Class Photography // Shutterstock
#20. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Median annual wage: $73,040
- Median hourly wage: $35.12
- Total employment: 140 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
#19. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $74,090
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 240 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,460
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 960 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
#17. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
#16. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $75,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 630 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
#15. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $77,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
#14. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,170
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
#13. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $78,320
- Median hourly wage: $37.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
#12. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $79,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.34
- Total employment: 460 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
#11. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $79,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $79,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 340 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
#9. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 190 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
#8. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 210 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
#7. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 240 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
#6. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $82,390
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 90 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
#5. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $82,720
- Median hourly wage: $39.77
- Total employment: 830 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
#4. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $86,770
- Median hourly wage: $41.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $87,380
- Median hourly wage: $42.01
- Total employment: 220 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $100,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $106,450
- Median hourly wage: $51.18
- Total employment: 250 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 363 metros.
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