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

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 Kalamazoo 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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Pixel B // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 90 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $59,500
- Median hourly wage: $28.60
- Total employment: 230 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Physical therapist assistants

- Median annual wage: $59,610
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $59,850
- Median hourly wage: $28.77
- Total employment: 110 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Aleksandar Malivuk // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Mechanical door repairers

- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $60,060
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 60 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $60,270
- Median hourly wage: $28.98
- Total employment: 70 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $60,320
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 140 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

9 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 330 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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santi lumubol // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,640
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 290 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

PHILIPIMAGE // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Motorboat mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Spates // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $60,910
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 490 people (4.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $60,930
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 550 people (4.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $61,140
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 190 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $61,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 150 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 130 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $61,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 60 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $62,070
- Median hourly wage: $29.84
- Total employment: 50 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

22 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 610 people (5.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,720
- Median hourly wage: $30.15
- Total employment: 580 people (4.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $63,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 300 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $63,970
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 710 people (5.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $63,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.76
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $64,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.89
- Total employment: 920 people (7.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $65,130
- Median hourly wage: $31.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $65,550
- Median hourly wage: $31.52
- Total employment: 120 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

30 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $65,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.59
- Total employment: 930 people (7.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $66,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 320 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $66,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.92
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Eligibility interviewers, government programs

- Median annual wage: $67,290
- Median hourly wage: $32.35
- Total employment: 160 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $67,700
- Median hourly wage: $32.55
- Total employment: 250 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $68,080
- Median hourly wage: $32.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

36 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $69,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 90 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $69,590
- Median hourly wage: $33.46
- Total employment: 60 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $71,100
- Median hourly wage: $34.19
- Total employment: 320 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gearstd // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Mechanical drafters

- Median annual wage: $71,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

40 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $71,790
- Median hourly wage: $34.52
- Total employment: 1,230 people (10.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,020
- Median hourly wage: $35.11
- Total employment: 480 people (3.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

42 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,340
- Median hourly wage: $36.22
- Total employment: 460 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $76,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 270 people (2.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $76,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 80 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $78,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 200 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $81,740
- Median hourly wage: $39.30
- Total employment: 890 people (7.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $85,800
- Median hourly wage: $41.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $89,550
- Median hourly wage: $43.05
- Total employment: 310 people (2.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $90,060
- Median hourly wage: $43.30
- Total employment: 190 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $96,640
- Median hourly wage: $46.46
- Total employment: 70 people (0.59 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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