Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Fort Wayne

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 Fort Wayne 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.

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 440 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Anze Furlan // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

- Median annual wage: $60,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $61,010
- Median hourly wage: $29.33
- Total employment: 250 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Toa55 // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Occupational therapy assistants

- Median annual wage: $61,160
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 100 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.43
- Total employment: 660 people (2.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Halfpoint // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $61,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 140 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $61,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.65
- Total employment: 70 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $61,790
- Median hourly wage: $29.71
- Total employment: 1,210 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $61,920
- Median hourly wage: $29.77
- Total employment: 280 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $61,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 360 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

11 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,020
- Median hourly wage: $29.82
- Total employment: 1,970 people (8.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,040
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 240 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $62,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.83
- Total employment: 140 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $62,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.97
- Total employment: 630 people (2.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 190 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $62,720
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 2,580 people (11.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

- Median annual wage: $62,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $63,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,310
- Median hourly wage: $31.40
- Total employment: 1,610 people (7.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $65,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $66,510
- Median hourly wage: $31.98
- Total employment: 1,450 people (6.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $67,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.29
- Total employment: 80 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $67,240
- Median hourly wage: $32.33
- Total employment: 180 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Akimov Igor // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $68,930
- Median hourly wage: $33.14
- Total employment: 160 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $69,210
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 60 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

26 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $69,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $69,900
- Median hourly wage: $33.61
- Total employment: 520 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $70,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.82
- Total employment: 120 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $72,820
- Median hourly wage: $35.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

30 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,120
- Median hourly wage: $35.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $74,610
- Median hourly wage: $35.87
- Total employment: 230 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $75,130
- Median hourly wage: $36.12
- Total employment: 370 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $75,510
- Median hourly wage: $36.30
- Total employment: 620 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $75,700
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 90 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $75,780
- Median hourly wage: $36.43
- Total employment: 1,130 people (5.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 PM production // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,030
- Median hourly wage: $36.55
- Total employment: 850 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $77,330
- Median hourly wage: $37.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 1,160 people (5.17 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: $79,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: 160 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $79,620
- Median hourly wage: $38.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $80,150
- Median hourly wage: $38.53
- Total employment: 1,200 people (5.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $82,510
- Median hourly wage: $39.67
- Total employment: 440 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $84,130
- Median hourly wage: $40.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Yulai Studio // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Surgical assistants

- Median annual wage: $89,600
- Median hourly wage: $43.08
- Total employment: Not available

M2020 // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $93,070
- Median hourly wage: $44.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $94,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $96,530
- Median hourly wage: $46.41
- Total employment: 100 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $98,750
- Median hourly wage: $47.48
- Total employment: 280 people (1.26 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: $99,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.77
- Total employment: 60 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $99,410
- Median hourly wage: $47.80
- Total employment: 100 people (0.44 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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