Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in San Francisco

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 San Francisco 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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1 / 50

#50. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $101,130
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 11,920 people (4.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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2 / 50

#49. Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $102,050
- Median hourly wage: $49.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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3 / 50

#48. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $102,090
- Median hourly wage: $49.08
- Total employment: 2,460 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 / 50

#47. Model makers, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $102,130
- Median hourly wage: $49.10
- Total employment: 110 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $103,090
- Median hourly wage: $49.56
- Total employment: 10,110 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $103,110
- Median hourly wage: $49.57
- Total employment: 1,130 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $103,560
- Median hourly wage: $49.79
- Total employment: 1,210 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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8 / 50

#43. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $105,350
- Median hourly wage: $50.65
- Total employment: 240 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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9 / 50

#42. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $105,800
- Median hourly wage: $50.87
- Total employment: 410 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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10 / 50

#41. Chemical plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $108,370
- Median hourly wage: $52.10
- Total employment: 250 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $108,910
- Median hourly wage: $52.36
- Total employment: 350 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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12 / 50

#39. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $109,900
- Median hourly wage: $52.84
- Total employment: 540 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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13 / 50

#38. Avionics technicians

- Median annual wage: $110,250
- Median hourly wage: $53.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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14 / 50

#37. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $110,810
- Median hourly wage: $53.28
- Total employment: 400 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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15 / 50

#36. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $110,830
- Median hourly wage: $53.29
- Total employment: 410 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $110,990
- Median hourly wage: $53.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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17 / 50

#34. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $115,980
- Median hourly wage: $55.76
- Total employment: 1,010 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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18 / 50

#33. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $117,350
- Median hourly wage: $56.42
- Total employment: 4,560 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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19 / 50

#32. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $117,420
- Median hourly wage: $56.45
- Total employment: 140 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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20 / 50

#31. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $118,520
- Median hourly wage: $56.98
- Total employment: 290 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment

- Median annual wage: $119,470
- Median hourly wage: $57.44
- Total employment: 300 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $121,270
- Median hourly wage: $58.30
- Total employment: 3,410 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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23 / 50

#28. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

- Median annual wage: $121,790
- Median hourly wage: $58.56
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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24 / 50

#27. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists

- Median annual wage: $122,760
- Median hourly wage: $59.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $123,390
- Median hourly wage: $59.32
- Total employment: 1,160 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $124,120
- Median hourly wage: $59.67
- Total employment: 1,290 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $125,150
- Median hourly wage: $60.17
- Total employment: 2,430 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $125,300
- Median hourly wage: $60.24
- Total employment: 690 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

- Median annual wage: $127,010
- Median hourly wage: $61.06
- Total employment: 310 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $127,850
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 180 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $128,470
- Median hourly wage: $61.77
- Total employment: 750 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#18. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $130,940
- Median hourly wage: $62.95
- Total employment: 4,070 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Fire inspectors and investigators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $130,940
- Median hourly wage: $62.95
- Total employment: 250 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $131,320
- Median hourly wage: $63.13
- Total employment: 1,940 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

#16. Pile driver operators

- Median annual wage: $133,080
- Median hourly wage: $63.98
- Total employment: 130 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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36 / 50

#15. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $133,190
- Median hourly wage: $64.03
- Total employment: 7,860 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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37 / 50

#14. Gambling managers

- Median annual wage: $135,990
- Median hourly wage: $65.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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38 / 50

#13. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $136,730
- Median hourly wage: $65.74
- Total employment: 2,580 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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39 / 50

#12. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $138,790
- Median hourly wage: $66.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

#11. Ship engineers

- Median annual wage: $143,600
- Median hourly wage: $69.04
- Total employment: 130 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $145,830
- Median hourly wage: $70.11
- Total employment: 190 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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42 / 50

#9. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $147,480
- Median hourly wage: $70.90
- Total employment: 370 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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43 / 50

#8. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $161,090
- Median hourly wage: $77.45
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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44 / 50

#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $161,700
- Median hourly wage: $77.74
- Total employment: 850 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $164,020
- Median hourly wage: $78.86
- Total employment: 390 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $170,000
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 530 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $173,900
- Median hourly wage: $83.61
- Total employment: 1,720 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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48 / 50

#3. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $182,530
- Median hourly wage: $87.76
- Total employment: 170 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)