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

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 Detroit 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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1 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,210
- Median hourly wage: $35.20
- Total employment: 10,800 people (5.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,180
- Median hourly wage: $35.66
- Total employment: 910 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $74,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 1,370 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Insurance appraisers, auto damage

- Median annual wage: $75,210
- Median hourly wage: $36.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Model makers, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $76,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.66
- Total employment: 780 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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6 / 50

#45. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $77,680
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: 3,390 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

7 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.37
- Total employment: 13,300 people (6.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Xmentoys // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Calibration technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $77,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.48
- Total employment: 150 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $78,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 1,720 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

10 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 18,610 people (9.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gearstd // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Mechanical drafters

- Median annual wage: $79,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.01
- Total employment: 740 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

12 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 6,490 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 7,590 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $79,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.35
- Total employment: 910 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Josep Suria // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $79,920
- Median hourly wage: $38.42
- Total employment: 320 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,320
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 6,360 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $80,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 11,840 people (6.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $81,450
- Median hourly wage: $39.16
- Total employment: 1,430 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $81,480
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 5,590 people (2.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 3,440 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Bailiffs

- Median annual wage: $82,100
- Median hourly wage: $39.47
- Total employment: 380 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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22 / 50

#29. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $82,580
- Median hourly wage: $39.70
- Total employment: 200 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $82,800
- Median hourly wage: $39.81
- Total employment: 650 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

24 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $82,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 2,090 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $82,970
- Median hourly wage: $39.89
- Total employment: 110 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $83,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.07
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $83,860
- Median hourly wage: $40.32
- Total employment: 1,330 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $84,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.61
- Total employment: 620 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $85,480
- Median hourly wage: $41.10
- Total employment: 190 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

- Median annual wage: $86,350
- Median hourly wage: $41.52
- Total employment: 70 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $87,360
- Median hourly wage: $42.00
- Total employment: 920 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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32 / 50

#19. Radiation therapists

- Median annual wage: $88,230
- Median hourly wage: $42.42
- Total employment: 220 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Fire inspectors and investigators

- Median annual wage: $92,450
- Median hourly wage: $44.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $93,430
- Median hourly wage: $44.92
- Total employment: 250 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $93,760
- Median hourly wage: $45.08
- Total employment: 1,310 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $96,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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37 / 50

#14. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $96,510
- Median hourly wage: $46.40
- Total employment: Not available

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38 / 50

#13. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $98,340
- Median hourly wage: $47.28
- Total employment: 1,100 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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39 / 50

#12. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $98,380
- Median hourly wage: $47.30
- Total employment: 90 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Funeral home managers

- Median annual wage: $99,040
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 130 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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41 / 50

#10. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $99,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.66
- Total employment: 1,630 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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42 / 50

#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $101,470
- Median hourly wage: $48.78
- Total employment: 3,920 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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43 / 50

#8. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $102,270
- Median hourly wage: $49.17
- Total employment: 30 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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44 / 50

#7. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $104,590
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 210 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $106,360
- Median hourly wage: $51.13
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $107,790
- Median hourly wage: $51.82
- Total employment: 360 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $109,030
- Median hourly wage: $52.42
- Total employment: 260 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $117,830
- Median hourly wage: $56.65
- Total employment: 150 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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49 / 50

#2. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $120,240
- Median hourly wage: $57.81
- Total employment: 270 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $149,330
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 380 people (0.2 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.