Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Palm Bay

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 Palm Bay 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.

Rido // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Opticians, dispensing

- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.37
- Total employment: 100 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $61,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: Not available

SatawatK // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $61,660
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 340 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $61,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 2,150 people (8.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $61,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 430 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $61,950
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 110 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Health information technologists and medical registrars

- Median annual wage: $62,170
- Median hourly wage: $29.89
- Total employment: 80 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#41. Structural iron and steel workers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 110 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Construction and building inspectors (tie)

- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 360 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Indypendenz // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Electrical and electronics drafters

- Median annual wage: $63,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Legal support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $64,150
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $64,200
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 360 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $64,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 180 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $65,550
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 60 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $66,620
- Median hourly wage: $32.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $67,240
- Median hourly wage: $32.33
- Total employment: 410 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,150
- Median hourly wage: $32.77
- Total employment: 2,020 people (8.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $68,570
- Median hourly wage: $32.96
- Total employment: 360 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#30. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 1,020 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrei Agape // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Avionics technicians (tie)

- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 200 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gearstd // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Mechanical drafters

- Median annual wage: $69,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 70 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $69,630
- Median hourly wage: $33.48
- Total employment: 230 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $70,060
- Median hourly wage: $33.68
- Total employment: 410 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $70,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $70,480
- Median hourly wage: $33.88
- Total employment: 140 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,500
- Median hourly wage: $33.89
- Total employment: 340 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Physical therapist assistants

- Median annual wage: $70,990
- Median hourly wage: $34.13
- Total employment: 240 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Toa55 // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Occupational therapy assistants

- Median annual wage: $71,570
- Median hourly wage: $34.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $72,300
- Median hourly wage: $34.76
- Total employment: 80 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

First Class Photography // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers

- Median annual wage: $73,040
- Median hourly wage: $35.12
- Total employment: 140 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $74,090
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 240 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $74,460
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 960 people (3.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $74,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 90 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $75,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.29
- Total employment: 630 people (2.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Vladeep // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $77,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Hearing aid specialists

- Median annual wage: $78,170
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

My Ocean Production // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $78,320
- Median hourly wage: $37.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $79,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.34
- Total employment: 460 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $79,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 340 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 190 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $80,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 210 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $80,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 240 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $82,390
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 90 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

industryviews // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $82,720
- Median hourly wage: $39.77
- Total employment: 830 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $86,770
- Median hourly wage: $41.72
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $87,380
- Median hourly wage: $42.01
- Total employment: 220 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $100,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)