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1 / 50#50. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $72,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.72
- Total employment: 390 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Santa Maria
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 Santa Maria 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. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $74,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.99
- Total employment: 300 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $74,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.00
- Total employment: 260 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $75,490
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 120 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $75,780
- Median hourly wage: $36.43
- Total employment: 560 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Legal support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $76,340
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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8 / 50#43. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 740 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $76,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.86
- Total employment: 450 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $76,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 190 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $77,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 400 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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13 / 50#38. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $78,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.62
- Total employment: 950 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $78,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 130 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $78,930
- Median hourly wage: $37.95
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $79,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 420 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,370
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 130 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
18 / 50#32. Computer network support specialists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $80,430
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 130 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door (tie)
- Median annual wage: $80,430
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 30 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $80,500
- Median hourly wage: $38.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,520
- Median hourly wage: $38.71
- Total employment: 110 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $80,700
- Median hourly wage: $38.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 100 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 510 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $82,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.63
- Total employment: 70 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Traffic technicians
- Median annual wage: $82,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $83,260
- Median hourly wage: $40.03
- Total employment: 260 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $83,940
- Median hourly wage: $40.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $83,980
- Median hourly wage: $40.37
- Total employment: 550 people (2.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $84,530
- Median hourly wage: $40.64
- Total employment: 120 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $85,870
- Median hourly wage: $41.28
- Total employment: 80 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $87,350
- Median hourly wage: $42.00
- Total employment: 120 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $89,030
- Median hourly wage: $42.81
- Total employment: 350 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $90,050
- Median hourly wage: $43.30
- Total employment: 750 people (3.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $90,690
- Median hourly wage: $43.60
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $95,930
- Median hourly wage: $46.12
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $98,640
- Median hourly wage: $47.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,750
- Median hourly wage: $48.44
- Total employment: 220 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $104,890
- Median hourly wage: $50.43
- Total employment: 100 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $106,640
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $106,990
- Median hourly wage: $51.44
- Total employment: 260 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $109,070
- Median hourly wage: $52.44
- Total employment: 220 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $119,580
- Median hourly wage: $57.49
- Total employment: 720 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $123,380
- Median hourly wage: $59.32
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $129,370
- Median hourly wage: $62.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $132,010
- Median hourly wage: $63.47
- Total employment: 280 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $133,600
- Median hourly wage: $64.23
- Total employment: 160 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $136,850
- Median hourly wage: $65.79
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $140,980
- Median hourly wage: $67.78
- Total employment: 90 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $157,520
- Median hourly wage: $75.73
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 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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