Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Syracuse

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

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

#28. Preschool teachers, except special education

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $38,440
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 610

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)

#27. Dietetic technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $39,870
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#26. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $41,090
- #63 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190

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)

#25. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $46,070
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#24. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $47,060
- #49 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)

#23. Broadcast technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $47,280
- #40 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)

#22. Paralegals and legal assistants

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $48,760
- #231 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 630

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)

#21. Occupational therapy assistants

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $51,750
- #223 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

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)

#20. Physical therapist assistants

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $53,630
- #362 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

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)

#19. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $54,510
- #138 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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. Medical equipment repairers

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $55,010
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

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)

#17. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $56,010
- #164 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

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)

#16. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $58,370
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,570
- Employment: 17,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($82,240)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($81,340)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($74,280)

#15. Architectural and civil drafters

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $59,000
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 310

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)

#14. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $61,670
- #79 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)

#13. Computer network support specialists

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $63,070
- #207 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 370

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)

#12. Chemical technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $63,130
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

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)

#11. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $65,990
- #16 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)

#10. Electrical and electronics drafters

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $66,900
- #36 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#9. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $67,010
- #131 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270

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)

#8. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $68,500
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550

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)

#7. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $69,690
- #26 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

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)

#6. Respiratory therapists

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $71,010
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

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. Dental hygienists

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $72,030
- #273 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)

#4. Mechanical drafters

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $72,330
- #14 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)

#3. Radiation therapists

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $75,360
- #72 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $78,310
- #110 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

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)

#1. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Syracuse, NY
- Annual mean salary: $83,230
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

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