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1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $74,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 210 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Bakersfield
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 Bakersfield 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. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $75,310
- Median hourly wage: $36.21
- Total employment: 1,350 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $75,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 150 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 / 50#47. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $76,530
- Median hourly wage: $36.79
- Total employment: 140 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $76,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $76,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 570 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,240
- Median hourly wage: $37.13
- Total employment: 270 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $77,250
- Median hourly wage: $37.14
- Total employment: 1,010 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,290
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 160 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Median annual wage: $78,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $78,630
- Median hourly wage: $37.80
- Total employment: 940 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50#38. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $79,050
- Median hourly wage: $38.01
- Total employment: 1,230 people (3.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $79,100
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 150 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $80,320
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 130 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $80,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.72
- Total employment: 130 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Legal support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $81,140
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $82,290
- Median hourly wage: $39.56
- Total employment: 70 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $83,200
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $83,890
- Median hourly wage: $40.33
- Total employment: 210 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $84,790
- Median hourly wage: $40.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $88,810
- Median hourly wage: $42.70
- Total employment: 450 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $90,220
- Median hourly wage: $43.37
- Total employment: 680 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $90,510
- Median hourly wage: $43.51
- Total employment: 1,150 people (3.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $93,470
- Median hourly wage: $44.94
- Total employment: 1,640 people (4.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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27 / 50#24. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $93,950
- Median hourly wage: $45.17
- Total employment: 180 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $94,470
- Median hourly wage: $45.42
- Total employment: 250 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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29 / 50#22. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $95,260
- Median hourly wage: $45.80
- Total employment: 150 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $95,510
- Median hourly wage: $45.92
- Total employment: 350 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $95,870
- Median hourly wage: $46.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $97,240
- Median hourly wage: $46.75
- Total employment: 130 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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33 / 50#18. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $97,320
- Median hourly wage: $46.79
- Total employment: 70 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $97,950
- Median hourly wage: $47.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50#16. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $98,060
- Median hourly wage: $47.15
- Total employment: 520 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $98,100
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 110 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $98,530
- Median hourly wage: $47.37
- Total employment: 560 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,590
- Median hourly wage: $47.40
- Total employment: 380 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Meter readers, utilities
- Median annual wage: $99,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $100,030
- Median hourly wage: $48.09
- Total employment: 230 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $101,200
- Median hourly wage: $48.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $101,230
- Median hourly wage: $48.67
- Total employment: 550 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $101,350
- Median hourly wage: $48.73
- Total employment: 200 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $102,510
- Median hourly wage: $49.28
- Total employment: 190 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $104,090
- Median hourly wage: $50.04
- Total employment: 3,290 people (9.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $104,930
- Median hourly wage: $50.45
- Total employment: 90 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $106,940
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 140 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $111,260
- Median hourly wage: $53.49
- Total employment: 70 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $123,140
- Median hourly wage: $59.20
- Total employment: 360 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $124,760
- Median hourly wage: $59.98
- Total employment: 320 people (0.95 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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