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1 / 50#50. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $48,190
- Median hourly wage: $23.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Twin Falls
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 Twin Falls 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. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $48,440
- Median hourly wage: $23.29
- Total employment: 120 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $48,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.33
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roschetzky Photography // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Food cooking machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $48,830
- Median hourly wage: $23.47
- Total employment: 140 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $48,850
- Median hourly wage: $23.49
- Total employment: 190 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,080
- Median hourly wage: $23.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $49,510
- Median hourly wage: $23.81
- Total employment: 90 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $49,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.00
- Total employment: 400 people (8.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $50,130
- Median hourly wage: $24.10
- Total employment: 30 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workers
- Median annual wage: $50,260
- Median hourly wage: $24.17
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DuxX // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,570
- Median hourly wage: $24.31
- Total employment: 810 people (16.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $50,590
- Median hourly wage: $24.32
- Total employment: 180 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Chok Chokchai // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $50,780
- Median hourly wage: $24.41
- Total employment: 160 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $50,860
- Median hourly wage: $24.45
- Total employment: 50 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $50,890
- Median hourly wage: $24.47
- Total employment: 180 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $50,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.48
- Total employment: 180 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $50,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.49
- Total employment: 290 people (5.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $51,330
- Median hourly wage: $24.68
- Total employment: 1,410 people (28.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $53,250
- Median hourly wage: $25.60
- Total employment: 160 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $54,110
- Median hourly wage: $26.01
- Total employment: 90 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $54,880
- Median hourly wage: $26.39
- Total employment: 120 people (2.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Maintenance and repair workers, general
- Median annual wage: $55,120
- Median hourly wage: $26.50
- Total employment: 630 people (12.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,730
- Median hourly wage: $27.27
- Total employment: 430 people (8.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $57,250
- Median hourly wage: $27.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $58,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.00
- Total employment: 180 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $58,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 150 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $59,090
- Median hourly wage: $28.41
- Total employment: 550 people (11.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,610
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 100 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $59,700
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 180 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 50 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,370
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 180 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,540
- Median hourly wage: $29.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 30 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $61,750
- Median hourly wage: $29.69
- Total employment: 60 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $62,510
- Median hourly wage: $30.05
- Total employment: 30 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $62,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 150 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $64,630
- Median hourly wage: $31.07
- Total employment: 330 people (6.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $65,330
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 80 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $70,400
- Median hourly wage: $33.85
- Total employment: 210 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.82
- Total employment: 230 people (4.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,270
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 60 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $78,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.70
- Total employment: 60 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,850
- Median hourly wage: $38.39
- Total employment: 30 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $81,700
- Median hourly wage: $39.28
- Total employment: 60 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $83,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.07
- Total employment: 100 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $84,090
- Median hourly wage: $40.43
- Total employment: 40 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $84,630
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 70 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $90,010
- Median hourly wage: $43.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.32 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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