Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Asheville

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

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

#21. Preschool teachers, except special education

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $28,480
- #443 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 600

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)

#20. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $35,850
- #210 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

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)

#19. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $38,540
- #316 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#18. Chemical technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $39,950
- #255 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)

#17. Medical equipment repairers

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $41,750
- #180 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#16. Forest and conservation technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $47,680
- #30 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#15. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $48,160
- #242 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

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)

#14. Paralegals and legal assistants

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $49,370
- #216 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490

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)

#13. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $50,680
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,000
- Employment: 24,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area ($82,420)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($79,240)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($73,940)

#12. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $51,790
- #221 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

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)

#11. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $54,950
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#10. Mechanical drafters

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $55,180
- #161 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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. Architectural and civil drafters

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $55,270
- #179 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#8. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $55,770
- #287 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)

#7. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $55,990
- #334 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420

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)

#6. Respiratory therapists

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $58,480
- #252 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

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)

#5. Physical therapist assistants

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $60,270
- #158 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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. Occupational therapy assistants

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $64,890
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#3. Dental hygienists

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $68,690
- #363 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 440

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. Computer network support specialists

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $72,110
- #61 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

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)

#1. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Asheville, NC
- Annual mean salary: $73,460
- #168 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

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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