Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Owensboro

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

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 Owensboro, KY using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

#11. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $30,180
- #391 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#10. Paralegals and legal assistants

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $41,300
- #429 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#9. Preschool teachers, except special education

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $43,850
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#8. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $47,970
- #245 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#7. Respiratory therapists

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $53,630
- #347 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

#6. Chemical technicians

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $53,840
- #84 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#5. Physical therapist assistants

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $56,820
- #262 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#4. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $58,250
- #274 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#3. Dental hygienists

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $59,910
- #476 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $64,170
- #177 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

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)

#1. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Owensboro, KY
- Annual mean salary: $70,480
- #208 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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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