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

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 Pittsfield 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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Vitpho // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $57,650
- Median hourly wage: $27.71
- Total employment: 420 people (7.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $58,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.02
- Total employment: 130 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#47. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $58,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.15
- Total employment: 170 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (tie)

- Median annual wage: $58,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.16
- Total employment: 90 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $58,680
- Median hourly wage: $28.21
- Total employment: 230 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Self-enrichment teachers

- Median annual wage: $58,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.27
- Total employment: 260 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Toa55 // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Occupational therapy assistants

- Median annual wage: $58,820
- Median hourly wage: $28.28
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $59,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.40
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Paralegals and legal assistants

- Median annual wage: $59,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.55
- Total employment: 80 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $59,830
- Median hourly wage: $28.77
- Total employment: 90 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $60,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 410 people (7.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#38. Chefs and head cooks (tie)

- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.03
- Total employment: 130 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $60,390
- Median hourly wage: $29.04
- Total employment: 30 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors

- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 240 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nikita M production // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $61,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 50 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hitdelight // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Architectural and civil drafters

- Median annual wage: $62,240
- Median hourly wage: $29.92
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining

- Median annual wage: $62,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 40 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $63,270
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 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: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 650 people (11.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $65,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $66,560
- Median hourly wage: $32.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $67,100
- Median hourly wage: $32.26
- Total employment: 180 people (3.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $67,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.59
- Total employment: 350 people (6.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $68,110
- Median hourly wage: $32.74
- Total employment: 190 people (3.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,730
- Median hourly wage: $34.00
- Total employment: 310 people (5.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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David Spates // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

- Median annual wage: $70,790
- Median hourly wage: $34.03
- Total employment: 190 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $70,900
- Median hourly wage: $34.09
- Total employment: 90 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Physical therapist assistants

- Median annual wage: $72,250
- Median hourly wage: $34.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $74,100
- Median hourly wage: $35.63
- Total employment: 90 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $74,220
- Median hourly wage: $35.68
- Total employment: 110 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $74,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.71
- Total employment: 270 people (4.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $75,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 250 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $75,790
- Median hourly wage: $36.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $75,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 60 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $76,760
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 290 people (5.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,060
- Median hourly wage: $37.05
- Total employment: 260 people (4.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $77,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.45
- Total employment: 60 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

38 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.49
- Total employment: 260 people (4.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,130
- Median hourly wage: $38.52
- Total employment: 300 people (5.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $80,520
- Median hourly wage: $38.71
- Total employment: 30 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $81,720
- Median hourly wage: $39.29
- Total employment: 110 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $82,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.50
- Total employment: 340 people (5.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.18
- Total employment: 50 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $85,730
- Median hourly wage: $41.21
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $89,740
- Median hourly wage: $43.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $94,170
- Median hourly wage: $45.28
- Total employment: 70 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $95,570
- Median hourly wage: $45.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $96,210
- Median hourly wage: $46.26
- Total employment: 90 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $103,890
- Median hourly wage: $49.95
- Total employment: 60 people (0.96 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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