DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $49,190
- Median hourly wage: $23.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Yuma
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 Yuma 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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Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $49,400
- Median hourly wage: $23.75
- Total employment: 60 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,450
- Median hourly wage: $23.78
- Total employment: 150 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedomz // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Health technologists and technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,140
- Median hourly wage: $24.11
- Total employment: 70 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $50,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.27
- Total employment: 230 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $50,650
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 250 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $50,860
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 80 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,980
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $52,210
- Median hourly wage: $25.10
- Total employment: 170 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $52,720
- Median hourly wage: $25.35
- Total employment: 270 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $52,920
- Median hourly wage: $25.44
- Total employment: 200 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $53,110
- Median hourly wage: $25.53
- Total employment: 500 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $53,360
- Median hourly wage: $25.65
- Total employment: 230 people (3.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $54,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.96
- Total employment: 100 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $54,960
- Median hourly wage: $26.42
- Total employment: 30 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $56,240
- Median hourly wage: $27.04
- Total employment: Not available
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 610 people (8.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $56,790
- Median hourly wage: $27.30
- Total employment: 330 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $56,910
- Median hourly wage: $27.36
- Total employment: 130 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,310
- Median hourly wage: $27.56
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $57,880
- Median hourly wage: $27.83
- Total employment: 60 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,040
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 110 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.34
- Total employment: 250 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $59,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $59,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.51
- Total employment: 90 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Socrates471 // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Audio and video technicians
- Median annual wage: $60,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 280 people (4.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.26
- Total employment: 80 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 40 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 50 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $64,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 220 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $65,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 360 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $65,690
- Median hourly wage: $31.58
- Total employment: 440 people (6.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $67,220
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 170 people (2.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $68,410
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 320 people (4.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $69,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.34
- Total employment: 100 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $69,950
- Median hourly wage: $33.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $70,630
- Median hourly wage: $33.96
- Total employment: 110 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $73,150
- Median hourly wage: $35.17
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,380
- Median hourly wage: $36.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,650
- Median hourly wage: $36.37
- Total employment: 110 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $76,950
- Median hourly wage: $36.99
- Total employment: 250 people (3.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $79,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 60 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $82,560
- Median hourly wage: $39.69
- Total employment: Not available
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $94,900
- Median hourly wage: $45.62
- Total employment: 70 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $95,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.98
- Total employment: 740 people (10.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,670
- Median hourly wage: $46.96
- Total employment: 70 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $102,300
- Median hourly wage: $49.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $102,510
- Median hourly wage: $49.28
- Total employment: 110 people (1.62 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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