Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in New Orleans

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

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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

#29. Dietetic technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $28,810
- #90 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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)

#28. Veterinary technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $29,370
- #407 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 670

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)

#27. Preschool teachers, except special education

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $34,230
- #224 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620

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)

#26. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $43,530
- #125 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

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)

#25. Avionics technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $45,240
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

National
- Annual mean salary: $69,180
- Employment: 21,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,470)
--- Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX ($87,670)
--- California-Lexington Park, MD ($83,930)

#24. Medical equipment repairers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $45,620
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

#23. Embalmers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $46,740
- #13 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,220
- Employment: 3,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Providence-Warwick, RI-MA ($86,140)
--- St. Louis, MO-IL ($72,090)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($70,000)

#22. Broadcast technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $47,410
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $49,250
- Employment: 25,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($75,430)
--- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY ($70,990)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,950)

#21. Paralegals and legal assistants

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $51,690
- #165 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 2,640

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)

#20. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,050
- #46 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,960
- Employment: 31,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($79,780)
--- Huntsville, AL ($78,320)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($76,970)

#19. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $53,770
- #146 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- Employment: 55,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($99,130)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($94,400)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,140)

#18. Physical therapist assistants

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $55,760
- #292 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

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)

#17. Radiologic technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $56,920
- #310 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980

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)

#16. Respiratory therapists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $59,080
- #235 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 780

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)

#15. Chemical technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $59,600
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

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)

#14. Occupational therapy assistants

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $59,620
- #145 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,420
- Employment: 42,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,570)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($77,720)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($77,650)

#13. Electrical and electronics drafters

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $61,270
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,720
- Employment: 23,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($98,380)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($86,920)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($83,760)

#12. Architectural and civil drafters

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $61,610
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370

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. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $62,810
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $75,960
- Employment: 39,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($133,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($127,930)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($120,550)

#10. Computer network support specialists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $64,160
- #183 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

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)

#9. Diagnostic medical sonographers

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $64,910
- #299 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

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)

#8. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $66,780
- #134 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 430

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)

#7. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $70,840
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 230

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. Dental hygienists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $71,950
- #275 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610

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)

#5. Nuclear medicine technologists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $73,110
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,080
- Employment: 17,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($149,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($148,240)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($135,080)

#4. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $76,290
- #11 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 62,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS ($94,360)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($90,460)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($86,020)

#3. Radiation therapists

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $77,500
- #68 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $94,300
- Employment: 17,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($169,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($159,660)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($131,960)

#2. Mechanical drafters

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $82,590
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#1. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- Annual mean salary: $91,550
- #3 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,880
- Employment: 39,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($112,580)
--- North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area ($91,580)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($91,550)

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