kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $57,430
- Median hourly wage: $27.61
- Total employment: 160 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Topeka
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 Topeka 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. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $57,460
- Median hourly wage: $27.63
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $57,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.71
- Total employment: 430 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $57,700
- Median hourly wage: $27.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $57,990
- Median hourly wage: $27.88
- Total employment: 540 people (4.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $58,710
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 150 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $59,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.39
- Total employment: 70 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $59,130
- Median hourly wage: $28.43
- Total employment: 1,320 people (11.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $59,400
- Median hourly wage: $28.56
- Total employment: 270 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,630
- Median hourly wage: $28.67
- Total employment: 320 people (2.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $60,180
- Median hourly wage: $28.94
- Total employment: 800 people (7.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $60,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 260 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $60,350
- Median hourly wage: $29.02
- Total employment: 660 people (5.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $60,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.07
- Total employment: 90 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $60,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 410 people (3.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $60,610
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 250 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
XiXinXing // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Medical records specialists
- Median annual wage: $60,900
- Median hourly wage: $29.28
- Total employment: 270 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 60 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 120 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $61,100
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 120 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $61,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 470 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,540
- Median hourly wage: $29.59
- Total employment: 300 people (2.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $61,980
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 410 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 120 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $63,090
- Median hourly wage: $30.33
- Total employment: 170 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Bailiffs
- Median annual wage: $66,100
- Median hourly wage: $31.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $66,210
- Median hourly wage: $31.83
- Total employment: 110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $66,840
- Median hourly wage: $32.13
- Total employment: 320 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $68,050
- Median hourly wage: $32.71
- Total employment: 370 people (3.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $69,700
- Median hourly wage: $33.51
- Total employment: 130 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $70,240
- Median hourly wage: $33.77
- Total employment: 110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $70,530
- Median hourly wage: $33.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $70,960
- Median hourly wage: $34.12
- Total employment: 470 people (4.15 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: $71,320
- Median hourly wage: $34.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedomz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Health technologists and technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $71,680
- Median hourly wage: $34.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $73,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.48
- Total employment: 330 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hunter Bliss Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 110 people (1.02 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: $76,560
- Median hourly wage: $36.81
- Total employment: 620 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.84
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $76,840
- Median hourly wage: $36.94
- Total employment: 630 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 560 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 180 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $83,210
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 240 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $92,990
- Median hourly wage: $44.71
- Total employment: 180 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $93,640
- Median hourly wage: $45.02
- Total employment: 220 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $94,740
- Median hourly wage: $45.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,890
- Median hourly wage: $50.91
- Total employment: 310 people (2.75 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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