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1 / 50#50. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $49,770
- Median hourly wage: $23.93
- Total employment: 2,010 people (16.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Ocala
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 Ocala 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. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $49,780
- Median hourly wage: $23.93
- Total employment: 230 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Motorcycle mechanics
- Median annual wage: $49,900
- Median hourly wage: $23.99
- Total employment: Not available
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4 / 50#47. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $50,860
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $51,010
- Median hourly wage: $24.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,310
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 320 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $51,570
- Median hourly wage: $24.80
- Total employment: 80 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $52,070
- Median hourly wage: $25.03
- Total employment: 330 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $52,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $53,270
- Median hourly wage: $25.61
- Total employment: 290 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $54,950
- Median hourly wage: $26.42
- Total employment: 570 people (4.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $55,140
- Median hourly wage: $26.51
- Total employment: 140 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $55,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 330 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Opticians, dispensing
- Median annual wage: $55,940
- Median hourly wage: $26.90
- Total employment: 90 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $56,250
- Median hourly wage: $27.04
- Total employment: 510 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $56,400
- Median hourly wage: $27.12
- Total employment: 110 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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17 / 50#34. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $56,620
- Median hourly wage: $27.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $57,440
- Median hourly wage: $27.62
- Total employment: 560 people (4.71 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: $57,780
- Median hourly wage: $27.78
- Total employment: 500 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chay_Tee // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Tax preparers
- Median annual wage: $57,960
- Median hourly wage: $27.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $58,080
- Median hourly wage: $27.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 430 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $58,310
- Median hourly wage: $28.03
- Total employment: 1,230 people (10.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $58,350
- Median hourly wage: $28.05
- Total employment: 140 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $58,430
- Median hourly wage: $28.09
- Total employment: 310 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $58,820
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $58,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 980 people (8.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $59,020
- Median hourly wage: $28.37
- Total employment: 150 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $59,350
- Median hourly wage: $28.53
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $59,880
- Median hourly wage: $28.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $60,300
- Median hourly wage: $28.99
- Total employment: 180 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $60,890
- Median hourly wage: $29.27
- Total employment: 900 people (7.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 240 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,620
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 130 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,500
- Median hourly wage: $30.53
- Total employment: 80 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.69
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $65,240
- Median hourly wage: $31.36
- Total employment: 150 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $65,790
- Median hourly wage: $31.63
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $67,230
- Median hourly wage: $32.32
- Total employment: 780 people (6.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $67,860
- Median hourly wage: $32.63
- Total employment: 500 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $68,860
- Median hourly wage: $33.10
- Total employment: 110 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $71,770
- Median hourly wage: $34.50
- Total employment: 90 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $71,800
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 180 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,070
- Median hourly wage: $36.09
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $80,200
- Median hourly wage: $38.56
- Total employment: 160 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.02
- Total employment: 110 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $81,610
- Median hourly wage: $39.23
- Total employment: 90 people (0.75 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: $93,430
- Median hourly wage: $44.92
- Total employment: 100 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $97,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.03
- Total employment: 90 people (0.74 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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