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1 / 50#50. Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $47,870
- Median hourly wage: $23.02
- Total employment: 50 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Monroe, Michigan
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 Monroe 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. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Median annual wage: $48,290
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 70 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,380
- Median hourly wage: $23.26
- Total employment: 140 people (3.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $48,440
- Median hourly wage: $23.29
- Total employment: 30 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $48,780
- Median hourly wage: $23.45
- Total employment: 250 people (6.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $48,940
- Median hourly wage: $23.53
- Total employment: 50 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,730
- Median hourly wage: $23.91
- Total employment: 80 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $49,890
- Median hourly wage: $23.99
- Total employment: 50 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $50,640
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 380 people (9.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $51,980
- Median hourly wage: $24.99
- Total employment: 50 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $52,540
- Median hourly wage: $25.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Akimov Igor // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $52,650
- Median hourly wage: $25.31
- Total employment: 40 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $53,320
- Median hourly wage: $25.63
- Total employment: 840 people (20.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $53,390
- Median hourly wage: $25.67
- Total employment: 40 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 170 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $55,480
- Median hourly wage: $26.67
- Total employment: 60 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
17 / 50#33. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $58,030
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Food service managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $58,030
- Median hourly wage: $27.90
- Total employment: 100 people (2.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $58,700
- Median hourly wage: $28.22
- Total employment: 150 people (3.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $58,900
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $58,930
- Median hourly wage: $28.33
- Total employment: 110 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 160 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 60 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $60,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 140 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $60,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.06
- Total employment: 140 people (3.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $61,610
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 240 people (5.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $61,690
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 70 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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28 / 50#23. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $62,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 200 people (5.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,750
- Median hourly wage: $30.17
- Total employment: 50 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $63,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 140 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $64,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 150 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $64,390
- Median hourly wage: $30.96
- Total employment: 380 people (9.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $64,580
- Median hourly wage: $31.05
- Total employment: 210 people (5.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $65,110
- Median hourly wage: $31.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $65,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 40 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $66,460
- Median hourly wage: $31.95
- Total employment: 180 people (4.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining
- Median annual wage: $67,620
- Median hourly wage: $32.51
- Total employment: 60 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $71,660
- Median hourly wage: $34.45
- Total employment: 90 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $73,780
- Median hourly wage: $35.47
- Total employment: 360 people (8.83 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: $74,540
- Median hourly wage: $35.84
- Total employment: 390 people (9.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $75,920
- Median hourly wage: $36.50
- Total employment: 220 people (5.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 30 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $78,920
- Median hourly wage: $37.94
- Total employment: 170 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $80,070
- Median hourly wage: $38.50
- Total employment: 190 people (4.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $81,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.00
- Total employment: 70 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $83,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.02
- Total employment: 70 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $85,630
- Median hourly wage: $41.17
- Total employment: 200 people (4.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $88,790
- Median hourly wage: $42.69
- Total employment: 70 people (1.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $91,220
- Median hourly wage: $43.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $103,460
- Median hourly wage: $49.74
- Total employment: 70 people (1.79 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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