Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Colorado Springs

Although it all depends on what you make of it, choosing to further your education may lead to higher paying job opportunities. An associate's degree takes just two years and offers more affordable tuition rates than a four-year school. As of April 2022, the average yearly salary for an individual with an associate's degree comes out to $45,989.

Students have a plethora of specialties to choose from when obtaining a 2-year degree, from industry-specific roles in health care or IT or a more generalized education path. Salaries differ between areas of study, job type, experience, and, of course, location. A Georgetown University study that looked at job growth and education requirements through 2020 stated that 30% of job openings required "at least some college or an associate's degree." Students can choose to head right into the workforce after earning an associate's, or continue their education toward earning a bachelor's degree.

The unemployment rate for associate's degree holders is only 2%, according to research from the Education Data Initiative. Having an associate's degree under your belt is proven to increase one's chance of holding a professional or management position in any number of industries, among them education and health, wholesale retail and trade, and professional and business services.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying jobs that require a 2-year degree in Colorado Springs, CO using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

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#25. Preschool teachers, except special education

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $35,750
- #182 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 540

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,550
- Employment: 370,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)

2 / 25

#24. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $38,160
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 490

National
- Annual mean salary: $37,860
- Employment: 109,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,990)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,220)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($51,340)

3 / 25

#23. Forest and conservation technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $42,830
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $42,780
- Employment: 30,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($68,370)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($66,570)
--- Corvallis, OR ($62,260)

4 / 25

#22. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $43,080
- #173 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,000
- Employment: 24,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area ($82,420)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($79,240)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($73,940)

5 / 25

#21. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $44,320
- #98 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,170
- Employment: 108,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,410)
--- Napa, CA ($54,120)

6 / 25

#20. Medical equipment repairers

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $47,340
- #153 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,090
- Employment: 48,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($84,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,030)
--- Reno, NV ($83,450)

7 / 25

#19. Chemical technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $51,750
- #117 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $53,700
- Employment: 63,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($86,340)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($79,390)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($78,000)

8 / 25

#18. Broadcast technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $52,960
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $49,250
- Employment: 25,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($75,430)
--- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY ($70,990)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,950)

9 / 25

#17. Paralegals and legal assistants

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $54,450
- #113 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 550

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,610
- Employment: 332,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($90,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($76,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,640)

10 / 25

#16. Occupational therapy assistants

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $56,000
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,420
- Employment: 42,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,570)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($77,720)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($77,650)

11 / 25

#15. Physical therapist assistants

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $58,990
- #195 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,440
- Employment: 92,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($85,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($76,390)

12 / 25

#14. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $59,710
- #105 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 62,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS ($94,360)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($90,460)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($86,020)

13 / 25

#13. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $61,160
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,960
- Employment: 31,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($79,780)
--- Huntsville, AL ($78,320)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($76,970)

14 / 25

#12. Architectural and civil drafters

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $63,060
- #43 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- Employment: 99,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($76,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,700)
--- Anchorage, AK ($75,650)

15 / 25

#11. Mechanical drafters

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $63,280
- #66 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,490
- Employment: 51,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,540)
--- Corpus Christi, TX ($90,720)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($82,590)

16 / 25

#10. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $63,690
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 520

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,840
- Employment: 206,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($127,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($118,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($118,100)

17 / 25

#9. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $65,760
- #151 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,310
- Employment: 115,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area ($99,890)
--- Fort Collins, CO ($91,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($90,780)

18 / 25

#8. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $69,490
- #31 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,590
- Employment: 67,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,190)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($83,250)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($81,340)

19 / 25

#7. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $70,580
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- Employment: 55,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($99,130)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($94,400)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,140)

20 / 25

#6. Respiratory therapists

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $71,140
- #59 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,640
- Employment: 131,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($113,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,330)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($101,690)

21 / 25

22 / 25

#4. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $78,270
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $75,960
- Employment: 39,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($133,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($127,930)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($120,550)

23 / 25

#3. Dental hygienists

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $85,390
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,050
- Employment: 194,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($125,750)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($122,660)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($119,320)

24 / 25

#2. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $85,780
- #64 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,790
- Employment: 73,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($138,110)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($137,140)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($131,080)

25 / 25

#1. Nuclear medicine technologists

Colorado Springs, CO
- Annual mean salary: $86,610
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,080
- Employment: 17,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($149,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($148,240)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($135,080)