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1 / 50#50. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $82,880
- Median hourly wage: $39.85
- Total employment: 480 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Sacramento
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 Sacramento 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. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $83,070
- Median hourly wage: $39.94
- Total employment: 690 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $83,250
- Median hourly wage: $40.03
- Total employment: 440 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $84,960
- Median hourly wage: $40.85
- Total employment: 890 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $85,270
- Median hourly wage: $41.00
- Total employment: 330 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $85,360
- Median hourly wage: $41.04
- Total employment: 2,420 people (2.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $85,860
- Median hourly wage: $41.28
- Total employment: 780 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Legal support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $86,740
- Median hourly wage: $41.70
- Total employment: 300 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $86,930
- Median hourly wage: $41.79
- Total employment: 1,970 people (1.84 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: $87,280
- Median hourly wage: $41.96
- Total employment: 3,090 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $88,080
- Median hourly wage: $42.35
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $89,580
- Median hourly wage: $43.07
- Total employment: 210 people (0.2 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: $90,900
- Median hourly wage: $43.70
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $91,800
- Median hourly wage: $44.14
- Total employment: 610 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $92,040
- Median hourly wage: $44.25
- Total employment: 170 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $95,010
- Median hourly wage: $45.68
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $95,210
- Median hourly wage: $45.77
- Total employment: 600 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $98,800
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 6,070 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $102,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 1,060 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $102,430
- Median hourly wage: $49.25
- Total employment: 13,690 people (12.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $102,500
- Median hourly wage: $49.28
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $102,810
- Median hourly wage: $49.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $103,300
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $104,300
- Median hourly wage: $50.15
- Total employment: 170 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $104,720
- Median hourly wage: $50.35
- Total employment: 1,480 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $105,760
- Median hourly wage: $50.85
- Total employment: 270 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $108,320
- Median hourly wage: $52.08
- Total employment: 2,140 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $108,340
- Median hourly wage: $52.09
- Total employment: 920 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NancyS // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
- Median annual wage: $108,400
- Median hourly wage: $52.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $108,490
- Median hourly wage: $52.16
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $109,830
- Median hourly wage: $52.80
- Total employment: 1,540 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $112,630
- Median hourly wage: $54.15
- Total employment: 5,590 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Parilov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Pile driver operators
- Median annual wage: $114,470
- Median hourly wage: $55.03
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $115,960
- Median hourly wage: $55.75
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $119,700
- Median hourly wage: $57.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $121,310
- Median hourly wage: $58.32
- Total employment: 2,180 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $129,180
- Median hourly wage: $62.10
- Total employment: 1,070 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $130,710
- Median hourly wage: $62.84
- Total employment: 1,250 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $130,830
- Median hourly wage: $62.90
- Total employment: 580 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $133,870
- Median hourly wage: $64.36
- Total employment: 220 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $139,310
- Median hourly wage: $66.98
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $139,690
- Median hourly wage: $67.16
- Total employment: 180 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $156,260
- Median hourly wage: $75.13
- Total employment: 180 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $157,640
- Median hourly wage: $75.79
- Total employment: 590 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $158,230
- Median hourly wage: $76.07
- Total employment: 900 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $160,630
- Median hourly wage: $77.23
- Total employment: 70 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $167,020
- Median hourly wage: $80.30
- Total employment: 120 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $167,080
- Median hourly wage: $80.33
- Total employment: 650 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $168,410
- Median hourly wage: $80.97
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $192,500
- Median hourly wage: $92.55
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 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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