Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Jacksonville

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 Jacksonville 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.

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

1 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,160
- Median hourly wage: $31.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $66,010
- Median hourly wage: $31.73
- Total employment: 200 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $66,020
- Median hourly wage: $31.74
- Total employment: 2,890 people (3.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $66,310
- Median hourly wage: $31.88
- Total employment: 620 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $66,370
- Median hourly wage: $31.91
- Total employment: 80 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Syda Productions // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $66,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.92
- Total employment: 1,540 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#43. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door (tie)

- Median annual wage: $67,200
- Median hourly wage: $32.31
- Total employment: 270 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Photostriker // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $67,200
- Median hourly wage: $32.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $67,740
- Median hourly wage: $32.57
- Total employment: 480 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $68,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.77
- Total employment: 1,590 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Fire inspectors and investigators

- Median annual wage: $68,790
- Median hourly wage: $33.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Electrical and electronics drafters

- Median annual wage: $68,810
- Median hourly wage: $33.08
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $69,250
- Median hourly wage: $33.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,790
- Median hourly wage: $34.03
- Total employment: 5,070 people (6.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $71,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.16
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Toa55 // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Occupational therapy assistants

- Median annual wage: $71,230
- Median hourly wage: $34.25
- Total employment: 250 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,140
- Median hourly wage: $34.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Funeral home managers

- Median annual wage: $72,690
- Median hourly wage: $34.95
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $72,980
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Hearing aid specialists

- Median annual wage: $75,080
- Median hourly wage: $36.09
- Total employment: 100 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $75,110
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 1,270 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Josep Suria // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $75,570
- Median hourly wage: $36.33
- Total employment: 120 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $75,630
- Median hourly wage: $36.36
- Total employment: 510 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrei Agape // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Avionics technicians

- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.48
- Total employment: 340 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $75,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 3,340 people (4.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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ART STOCK CREATIVE // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Food science technicians

- Median annual wage: $76,320
- Median hourly wage: $36.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $77,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.03
- Total employment: 670 people (0.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 130 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Surgical assistants

- Median annual wage: $77,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.31
- Total employment: Not available

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31 / 50

#20. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $79,520
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 460 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $79,910
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 240 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other

- Median annual wage: $82,220
- Median hourly wage: $39.53
- Total employment: 400 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

anyaivanova // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $84,530
- Median hourly wage: $40.64
- Total employment: 360 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

industryviews // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $85,520
- Median hourly wage: $41.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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My Ocean Production // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $86,270
- Median hourly wage: $41.48
- Total employment: 140 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock

37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $86,650
- Median hourly wage: $41.66
- Total employment: 780 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $87,790
- Median hourly wage: $42.21
- Total employment: 510 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $87,830
- Median hourly wage: $42.23
- Total employment: 1,080 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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40 / 50

#11. Health information technologists and medical registrars

- Median annual wage: $87,980
- Median hourly wage: $42.30
- Total employment: 260 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $92,630
- Median hourly wage: $44.53
- Total employment: 730 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

socrates471 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $94,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $96,050
- Median hourly wage: $46.18
- Total employment: 840 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $98,170
- Median hourly wage: $47.20
- Total employment: 1,240 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $106,740
- Median hourly wage: $51.32
- Total employment: 90 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $109,280
- Median hourly wage: $52.54
- Total employment: 650 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $110,070
- Median hourly wage: $52.92
- Total employment: 180 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

curraheeshutter // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Ship engineers

- Median annual wage: $114,750
- Median hourly wage: $55.17
- Total employment: 410 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $123,120
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 260 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. Air traffic controllers

- Median annual wage: $166,940
- Median hourly wage: $80.26
- Total employment: 460 people (0.61 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.