Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $58,070
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 270 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Merced
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 Merced 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. Bus drivers, school
- Median annual wage: $58,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 260 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $58,580
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 360 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $58,830
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 80 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ART STOCK CREATIVE // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Food science technicians
- Median annual wage: $58,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.31
- Total employment: 220 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#44. Insurance sales agents (tie)
- Median annual wage: $59,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 160 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Postal service mail carriers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $59,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 190 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $59,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 240 people (3.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dagmara_K // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Median annual wage: $60,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
brizmaker // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Roofers
- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Production workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $60,550
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 200 people (2.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 190 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $61,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 60 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $61,770
- Median hourly wage: $29.70
- Total employment: 170 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,790
- Median hourly wage: $29.71
- Total employment: 110 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $62,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $63,660
- Median hourly wage: $30.61
- Total employment: 350 people (4.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $63,730
- Median hourly wage: $30.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,940
- Median hourly wage: $30.74
- Total employment: 620 people (7.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $64,140
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 460 people (5.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $64,470
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 150 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 190 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $65,200
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 60 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $65,340
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 170 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,440
- Median hourly wage: $31.46
- Total employment: 140 people (1.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $66,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $66,690
- Median hourly wage: $32.06
- Total employment: Not available
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $67,890
- Median hourly wage: $32.64
- Total employment: 90 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $71,430
- Median hourly wage: $34.34
- Total employment: 270 people (3.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $72,920
- Median hourly wage: $35.06
- Total employment: 140 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $74,840
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $75,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 290 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $76,730
- Median hourly wage: $36.89
- Total employment: 430 people (5.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $78,320
- Median hourly wage: $37.66
- Total employment: 90 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,450
- Median hourly wage: $37.72
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $78,910
- Median hourly wage: $37.94
- Total employment: 160 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $79,860
- Median hourly wage: $38.39
- Total employment: 260 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $80,160
- Median hourly wage: $38.54
- Total employment: 50 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $80,510
- Median hourly wage: $38.71
- Total employment: 50 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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pio3 // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $82,900
- Median hourly wage: $39.86
- Total employment: 440 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $86,470
- Median hourly wage: $41.57
- Total employment: 260 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $95,840
- Median hourly wage: $46.08
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $97,750
- Median hourly wage: $47.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,150
- Median hourly wage: $47.19
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Bigflick // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $98,550
- Median hourly wage: $47.38
- Total employment: 240 people (3.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $99,040
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 80 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $105,350
- Median hourly wage: $50.65
- Total employment: 50 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $117,220
- Median hourly wage: $56.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $120,380
- Median hourly wage: $57.88
- Total employment: 100 people (1.25 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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