Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $60,520
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 740 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Lexington
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 Lexington 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. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $60,970
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 650 people (2.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lighthunter // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Medical equipment repairers
- Median annual wage: $61,280
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 70 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
4 / 50#46. Structural iron and steel workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,410
- Median hourly wage: $29.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $61,410
- Median hourly wage: $29.52
- Total employment: 2,860 people (10.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,510
- Median hourly wage: $30.05
- Total employment: 300 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $62,610
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 190 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,730
- Median hourly wage: $30.16
- Total employment: 320 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,790
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 140 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.24
- Total employment: 140 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $63,070
- Median hourly wage: $30.32
- Total employment: 1,020 people (3.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $63,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
14 / 50#36. Real estate brokers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $64,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Postal service clerks (tie)
- Median annual wage: $64,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 80 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,260
- Median hourly wage: $30.90
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $64,520
- Median hourly wage: $31.02
- Total employment: 240 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedomz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Health technologists and technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 570 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitreel // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Food batchmakers
- Median annual wage: $64,980
- Median hourly wage: $31.24
- Total employment: Not available
Gearstd // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $65,110
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 100 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SritanaN // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $65,190
- Median hourly wage: $31.34
- Total employment: 900 people (3.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $65,610
- Median hourly wage: $31.55
- Total employment: 170 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $66,580
- Median hourly wage: $32.01
- Total employment: 220 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $66,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.02
- Total employment: 230 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#25. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $67,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.66
- Total employment: 70 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Respiratory therapists (tie)
- Median annual wage: $67,930
- Median hourly wage: $32.66
- Total employment: 440 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $68,440
- Median hourly wage: $32.91
- Total employment: 680 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $68,720
- Median hourly wage: $33.04
- Total employment: 270 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $69,950
- Median hourly wage: $33.63
- Total employment: 210 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $70,500
- Median hourly wage: $33.89
- Total employment: 240 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $70,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.98
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $71,650
- Median hourly wage: $34.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $71,850
- Median hourly wage: $34.54
- Total employment: 1,240 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 420 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $72,720
- Median hourly wage: $34.96
- Total employment: 370 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $73,210
- Median hourly wage: $35.20
- Total employment: 1,190 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $73,570
- Median hourly wage: $35.37
- Total employment: 180 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 90 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 430 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $78,040
- Median hourly wage: $37.52
- Total employment: 1,990 people (7.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $78,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 310 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $80,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $81,200
- Median hourly wage: $39.04
- Total employment: 150 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $82,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $86,530
- Median hourly wage: $41.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $90,690
- Median hourly wage: $43.60
- Total employment: 220 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $94,780
- Median hourly wage: $45.57
- Total employment: 110 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,460
- Median hourly wage: $48.78
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $104,150
- Median hourly wage: $50.07
- Total employment: 300 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $122,390
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 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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