Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $63,610
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 470 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Grand Rapids
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 Grand Rapids 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. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.69
- Total employment: 80 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,830
- Median hourly wage: $30.69
- Total employment: 3,720 people (6.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $64,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 3,090 people (5.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $64,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 330 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 100 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $64,590
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 90 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $65,150
- Median hourly wage: $31.32
- Total employment: 980 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $65,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 1,110 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $65,330
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 140 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Toa55 // Shutterstock
11 / 50#39. Occupational therapy assistants (tie)
- Median annual wage: $65,370
- Median hourly wage: $31.43
- Total employment: 370 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Radiologic technologists and technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $65,370
- Median hourly wage: $31.43
- Total employment: 900 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,310
- Median hourly wage: $31.88
- Total employment: 450 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,750
- Median hourly wage: $32.09
- Total employment: 640 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,850
- Median hourly wage: $32.14
- Total employment: 830 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $67,240
- Median hourly wage: $32.33
- Total employment: 280 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $67,900
- Median hourly wage: $32.65
- Total employment: 5,100 people (9.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $68,210
- Median hourly wage: $32.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $69,410
- Median hourly wage: $33.37
- Total employment: 7,050 people (12.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $71,490
- Median hourly wage: $34.37
- Total employment: 230 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $72,120
- Median hourly wage: $34.67
- Total employment: 1,790 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $74,070
- Median hourly wage: $35.61
- Total employment: 370 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,130
- Median hourly wage: $36.12
- Total employment: 2,340 people (4.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $75,270
- Median hourly wage: $36.19
- Total employment: 190 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 150 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Indypendenz // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $75,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,300
- Median hourly wage: $36.68
- Total employment: 480 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 600 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $77,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.10
- Total employment: 630 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $77,470
- Median hourly wage: $37.24
- Total employment: 1,470 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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4 PM production // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,060
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 2,320 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,070
- Median hourly wage: $37.53
- Total employment: 190 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $79,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: 180 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $80,340
- Median hourly wage: $38.62
- Total employment: 380 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $80,500
- Median hourly wage: $38.70
- Total employment: 110 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $81,810
- Median hourly wage: $39.33
- Total employment: 120 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $81,840
- Median hourly wage: $39.35
- Total employment: 1,220 people (2.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $81,890
- Median hourly wage: $39.37
- Total employment: 230 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $82,630
- Median hourly wage: $39.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $85,020
- Median hourly wage: $40.88
- Total employment: Not available
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Syda Productions // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $89,500
- Median hourly wage: $43.03
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $96,740
- Median hourly wage: $46.51
- Total employment: 120 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $96,900
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 50 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $96,910
- Median hourly wage: $46.59
- Total employment: 1,030 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $97,770
- Median hourly wage: $47.00
- Total employment: 240 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $100,860
- Median hourly wage: $48.49
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $100,990
- Median hourly wage: $48.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $101,550
- Median hourly wage: $48.82
- Total employment: 230 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $113,310
- Median hourly wage: $54.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $189,090
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.17 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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