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1 / 50#49. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $72,040
- Median hourly wage: $34.63
- Total employment: 5,000 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Phoenix
For many, a two-year associate degree can be the ticket to higher earning power at an affordable price. Though some types of associate degrees can be a stepping stone to a bachelor's, others are geared toward middle-skilled careers that require specialized knowledge, such as criminal justice, cybersecurity, hospitality management, and more.
Across all fields of study, someone with a two-year degree can earn a median annual salary of $49,500 as of May 2024, around 18% more than that of a high school graduate. By comparison, bachelor's degree holders can earn a median salary of $66,600 but have to invest much more time—and money—into their degree.
According to March 2025 data from the Education Data Initiative, the total cost for a degree from a two-year in-district public college averages about $35,000, compared to nearly $109,000 for a bachelor's degree. And lower costs mean fewer student loans. Just 2 in 5 associate degree recipients took on student loan debt in the 2019-2020 school year (the most recent year with available data), compared to 64% of bachelor's degree students. The two-year degree holders who did use loans borrowed less money, incurring lower interest payments.
Despite the benefits of earning a two-year degree, the number of these credentials produced across the United States is lagging. A September 2024 study from Georgetown University forecasts a nationwide shortage of nearly 361,000 credentials to fill middle-skilled jobs through 2032. However, this could be good news for anyone holding one of these versatile degrees, since the number of available jobs may soon outnumber the employees qualified to work them.
In the meantime, Stacker used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the highest-paying jobs in Phoenix for people with a two-year associate degree. The analysis also included jobs that listed a high school diploma, some college but no degree, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirement. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $72,040
- Median hourly wage: $34.63
- Total employment: 400 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $72,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.86
- Total employment: 210 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 1,000 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Median annual wage: $72,830
- Median hourly wage: $35.02
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,160
- Median hourly wage: $35.66
- Total employment: 6,560 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $74,230
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 220 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $74,670
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 3,660 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $74,990
- Median hourly wage: $36.05
- Total employment: 420 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,040
- Median hourly wage: $36.08
- Total employment: 8,130 people (3.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $75,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 340 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $75,230
- Median hourly wage: $36.17
- Total employment: 760 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,770
- Median hourly wage: $36.43
- Total employment: 240 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $75,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 680 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,030
- Median hourly wage: $36.55
- Total employment: 520 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Medical appliance technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,040
- Median hourly wage: $36.56
- Total employment: 270 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $76,340
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 560 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Broadcast technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 340 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Semiconductor processing technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,050
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 3,710 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 2,540 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.67
- Total employment: 130 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $78,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.70
- Total employment: 310 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $79,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 16,610 people (7.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $79,200
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50#26. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.16
- Total employment: 250 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,650
- Median hourly wage: $38.29
- Total employment: 3,010 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.40
- Total employment: 1,850 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.57
- Total employment: 2,250 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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29 / 50#22. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $80,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 600 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $80,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 2,210 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $84,910
- Median hourly wage: $40.82
- Total employment: 210 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $85,440
- Median hourly wage: $41.08
- Total employment: 3,460 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $91,600
- Median hourly wage: $44.04
- Total employment: 7,750 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $94,970
- Median hourly wage: $45.66
- Total employment: 1,240 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,550
- Median hourly wage: $45.94
- Total employment: 2,320 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $97,160
- Median hourly wage: $46.71
- Total employment: 570 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $97,920
- Median hourly wage: $47.08
- Total employment: 3,650 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $100,670
- Median hourly wage: $48.40
- Total employment: 380 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $102,260
- Median hourly wage: $49.17
- Total employment: 1,410 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $102,310
- Median hourly wage: $49.19
- Total employment: 1,430 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $102,550
- Median hourly wage: $49.30
- Total employment: 100 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $103,830
- Median hourly wage: $49.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $105,330
- Median hourly wage: $50.64
- Total employment: 340 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $109,270
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 820 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $110,500
- Median hourly wage: $53.12
- Total employment: Not available
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $114,520
- Median hourly wage: $55.06
- Total employment: 1,400 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $115,610
- Median hourly wage: $55.58
- Total employment: Not available
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $117,990
- Median hourly wage: $56.73
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $120,410
- Median hourly wage: $57.89
- Total employment: 190 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $156,020
- Median hourly wage: $75.01
- Total employment: 220 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 363 metros.
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