Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Indianapolis

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 Indianapolis 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.

Hitdelight // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Architectural and civil drafters

- Median annual wage: $67,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.29
- Total employment: 730 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $68,610
- Median hourly wage: $32.99
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $69,560
- Median hourly wage: $33.44
- Total employment: 710 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $70,420
- Median hourly wage: $33.86
- Total employment: Not available

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $72,110
- Median hourly wage: $34.67
- Total employment: 940 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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GaudiLab // Shutterstock

6 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,220
- Median hourly wage: $34.72
- Total employment: 8,390 people (7.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

7 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $72,970
- Median hourly wage: $35.08
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

8 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,970
- Median hourly wage: $35.56
- Total employment: 5,210 people (4.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $74,080
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 2,480 people (2.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 420 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Insurance appraisers, auto damage

- Median annual wage: $76,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $77,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.02
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

muratart // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $77,030
- Median hourly wage: $37.03
- Total employment: Not available

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Electrical and electronics drafters

- Median annual wage: $77,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.15
- Total employment: 160 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Josep Suria // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $78,200
- Median hourly wage: $37.59
- Total employment: 290 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $78,250
- Median hourly wage: $37.62
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $78,550
- Median hourly wage: $37.77
- Total employment: 440 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.86
- Total employment: 1,490 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $79,160
- Median hourly wage: $38.06
- Total employment: 500 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $79,300
- Median hourly wage: $38.13
- Total employment: 1,790 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $79,450
- Median hourly wage: $38.20
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,530
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 4,010 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers

- Median annual wage: $79,650
- Median hourly wage: $38.29
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $80,050
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 3,480 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $80,440
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 300 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $80,570
- Median hourly wage: $38.74
- Total employment: 1,300 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $80,700
- Median hourly wage: $38.80
- Total employment: 4,690 people (4.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,650
- Median hourly wage: $39.26
- Total employment: 6,340 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Real estate brokers

- Median annual wage: $82,990
- Median hourly wage: $39.90
- Total employment: Not available

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30 / 50

#21. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $84,330
- Median hourly wage: $40.55
- Total employment: 250 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $84,970
- Median hourly wage: $40.85
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $85,520
- Median hourly wage: $41.11
- Total employment: 420 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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33 / 50

#18. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $90,500
- Median hourly wage: $43.51
- Total employment: 790 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $90,670
- Median hourly wage: $43.59
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $92,800
- Median hourly wage: $44.61
- Total employment: 1,820 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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prochasson frederic // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $93,130
- Median hourly wage: $44.78
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $97,360
- Median hourly wage: $46.81
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Radiation therapists

- Median annual wage: $97,910
- Median hourly wage: $47.07
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $98,310
- Median hourly wage: $47.26
- Total employment: 640 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

My Ocean Production // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $98,560
- Median hourly wage: $47.39
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $103,430
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 210 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $105,660
- Median hourly wage: $50.80
- Total employment: 700 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $105,740
- Median hourly wage: $50.84
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor_Koptilin // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators

- Median annual wage: $105,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.96
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $106,400
- Median hourly wage: $51.15
- Total employment: 1,600 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $109,320
- Median hourly wage: $52.56
- Total employment: 480 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $111,190
- Median hourly wage: $53.46
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $113,710
- Median hourly wage: $54.67
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $134,130
- Median hourly wage: $64.49
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Neale Cousland // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $210,860
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.07 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.