Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Stockton

Written by:
July 15, 2022
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Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Stockton

Although it all depends on what you make of it, choosing to further your education may lead to higher paying job opportunities. An associate's degree takes just two years and offers more affordable tuition rates than a four-year school. As of April 2022, the average yearly salary for an individual with an associate's degree comes out to $45,989.

Students have a plethora of specialties to choose from when obtaining a 2-year degree, from industry-specific roles in health care or IT or a more generalized education path. Salaries differ between areas of study, job type, experience, and, of course, location. A Georgetown University study that looked at job growth and education requirements through 2020 stated that 30% of job openings required "at least some college or an associate's degree." Students can choose to head right into the workforce after earning an associate's, or continue their education toward earning a bachelor's degree.

The unemployment rate for associate's degree holders is only 2%, according to research from the Education Data Initiative. Having an associate's degree under your belt is proven to increase one's chance of holding a professional or management position in any number of industries, among them education and health, wholesale retail and trade, and professional and business services.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying jobs that require a 2-year degree in Stockton-Lodi, CA using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

#18. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $40,790
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

National
- Annual mean salary: $37,860
- Employment: 109,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,990)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,220)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($51,340)

#17. Preschool teachers, except special education

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $42,540
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 720

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,550
- Employment: 370,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)

#16. Dietetic technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $42,790
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $32,920
- Employment: 26,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,550)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,700)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($48,370)

#15. Forest and conservation technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $43,790
- #82 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $42,780
- Employment: 30,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($68,370)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($66,570)
--- Corvallis, OR ($62,260)

#14. Chemical technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $44,220
- #233 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $53,700
- Employment: 63,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($86,340)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($79,390)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($78,000)

#13. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $46,390
- #56 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,170
- Employment: 108,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,410)
--- Napa, CA ($54,120)

#12. Architectural and civil drafters

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $60,960
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- Employment: 99,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($76,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,700)
--- Anchorage, AK ($75,650)

#11. Paralegals and legal assistants

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $61,590
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,610
- Employment: 332,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($90,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($76,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,640)

#10. Mechanical drafters

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $62,860
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,490
- Employment: 51,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,540)
--- Corpus Christi, TX ($90,720)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($82,590)

#9. Medical equipment repairers

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $62,910
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,090
- Employment: 48,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($84,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,030)
--- Reno, NV ($83,450)

#8. Physical therapist assistants

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $63,250
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,440
- Employment: 92,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($85,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($76,390)

#7. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $69,000
- #35 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,590
- Employment: 67,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,190)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($83,250)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($81,340)

#6. Computer network support specialists

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $70,340
- #83 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,040
- Employment: 184,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($94,120)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($93,670)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($92,190)

#5. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $71,930
- #76 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,310
- Employment: 115,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area ($99,890)
--- Fort Collins, CO ($91,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($90,780)

#4. Respiratory therapists

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $89,100
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,640
- Employment: 131,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($113,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,330)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($101,690)

#3. Dental hygienists

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $100,940
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,050
- Employment: 194,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($125,750)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($122,660)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($119,320)

#2. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $101,350
- #6 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 260

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,840
- Employment: 206,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($127,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($118,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($118,100)

#1. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Annual mean salary: $114,650
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,790
- Employment: 73,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($138,110)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($137,140)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($131,080)

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