Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,140
- Median hourly wage: $27.95
- Total employment: 560 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Lakeland
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 Lakeland 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. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,340
- Median hourly wage: $28.05
- Total employment: 690 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $58,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 480 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $59,110
- Median hourly wage: $28.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $59,420
- Median hourly wage: $28.57
- Total employment: 270 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Hitdelight // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $59,590
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 180 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $59,990
- Median hourly wage: $28.84
- Total employment: 300 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,010
- Median hourly wage: $28.85
- Total employment: 940 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,210
- Median hourly wage: $28.95
- Total employment: 410 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $60,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 90 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 170 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $60,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 2,450 people (9.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $61,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 540 people (2.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 2,140 people (8.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 90 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $62,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 1,730 people (6.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,520
- Median hourly wage: $30.06
- Total employment: 140 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $63,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.39
- Total employment: 1,460 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
20 / 50#30. Mechanical drafters (tie)
- Median annual wage: $63,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Physical therapist assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $63,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 270 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 930 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $64,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,100
- Median hourly wage: $30.82
- Total employment: 390 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $64,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.12
- Total employment: 120 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Toa55 // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,170
- Median hourly wage: $31.81
- Total employment: 110 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,500
- Median hourly wage: $31.97
- Total employment: 480 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $66,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 1,340 people (5.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,320
- Median hourly wage: $32.85
- Total employment: 1,460 people (5.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $69,210
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 1,810 people (6.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Prath // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $69,330
- Median hourly wage: $33.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $69,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.93
- Total employment: 1,180 people (4.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,380
- Median hourly wage: $36.24
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $75,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 340 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $80,450
- Median hourly wage: $38.68
- Total employment: 260 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $80,540
- Median hourly wage: $38.72
- Total employment: 170 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $80,620
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 270 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $81,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.30
- Total employment: 180 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Peakstock // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $82,280
- Median hourly wage: $39.56
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $89,760
- Median hourly wage: $43.15
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $90,160
- Median hourly wage: $43.35
- Total employment: 120 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $93,990
- Median hourly wage: $45.19
- Total employment: 190 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,480
- Median hourly wage: $45.90
- Total employment: 400 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $95,620
- Median hourly wage: $45.97
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.22
- Total employment: 200 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $97,590
- Median hourly wage: $46.92
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $101,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.95
- Total employment: 170 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $106,930
- Median hourly wage: $51.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.39 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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