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

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 Minneapolis 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.

You may also like: Closest national parks to Minneapolis

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

1 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,770
- Median hourly wage: $38.35
- Total employment: 500 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

2 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $79,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.38
- Total employment: 390 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

3 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $80,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.52
- Total employment: 1,920 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GolF2532 // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Security and fire alarm systems installers

- Median annual wage: $80,610
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 510 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Anze Furlan // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

- Median annual wage: $80,750
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 250 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $80,900
- Median hourly wage: $38.89
- Total employment: 1,000 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rezoff // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Plant and system operators, all other

- Median annual wage: $81,140
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

funnyangel // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Fire inspectors and investigators

- Median annual wage: $81,200
- Median hourly wage: $39.04
- Total employment: 130 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $81,770
- Median hourly wage: $39.31
- Total employment: 4,060 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $81,890
- Median hourly wage: $39.37
- Total employment: 6,610 people (3.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Health information technologists and medical registrars

- Median annual wage: $83,010
- Median hourly wage: $39.91
- Total employment: 640 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorgev // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. First-line supervisors of security workers

- Median annual wage: $83,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 890 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

13 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $83,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.07
- Total employment: 620 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $83,390
- Median hourly wage: $40.09
- Total employment: 2,190 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $84,340
- Median hourly wage: $40.55
- Total employment: 1,140 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $84,520
- Median hourly wage: $40.64
- Total employment: 320 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $85,550
- Median hourly wage: $41.13
- Total employment: 350 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $86,640
- Median hourly wage: $41.66
- Total employment: 2,000 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kirill Lasis // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Tapers

- Median annual wage: $86,990
- Median hourly wage: $41.82
- Total employment: 190 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $88,100
- Median hourly wage: $42.36
- Total employment: 870 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Highest-paying science jobs for people in Minneapolis

muratart // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $88,910
- Median hourly wage: $42.75
- Total employment: Not available

John Leung // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $89,590
- Median hourly wage: $43.07
- Total employment: 800 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

23 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $90,480
- Median hourly wage: $43.50
- Total employment: 5,480 people (2.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $91,310
- Median hourly wage: $43.90
- Total employment: 110 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $92,220
- Median hourly wage: $44.34
- Total employment: 780 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $94,200
- Median hourly wage: $45.29
- Total employment: 720 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Radiation therapists

- Median annual wage: $95,080
- Median hourly wage: $45.71
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $95,090
- Median hourly wage: $45.71
- Total employment: 8,110 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $95,350
- Median hourly wage: $45.84
- Total employment: 390 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $95,370
- Median hourly wage: $45.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $95,920
- Median hourly wage: $46.12
- Total employment: 5,300 people (2.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $96,650
- Median hourly wage: $46.46
- Total employment: 210 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $97,020
- Median hourly wage: $46.65
- Total employment: 5,070 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

34 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $98,720
- Median hourly wage: $47.46
- Total employment: 510 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $99,660
- Median hourly wage: $47.91
- Total employment: 550 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $100,560
- Median hourly wage: $48.35
- Total employment: 3,030 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

37 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $101,290
- Median hourly wage: $48.70
- Total employment: 7,470 people (3.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

prochasson frederic // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Boilermakers

- Median annual wage: $102,740
- Median hourly wage: $49.39
- Total employment: Not available

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Funeral home managers

- Median annual wage: $103,290
- Median hourly wage: $49.66
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $103,990
- Median hourly wage: $50.00
- Total employment: 940 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

My Ocean Production // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $104,630
- Median hourly wage: $50.30
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $106,500
- Median hourly wage: $51.20
- Total employment: 2,820 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $108,040
- Median hourly wage: $51.94
- Total employment: 2,580 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $109,590
- Median hourly wage: $52.69
- Total employment: 800 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Yulai Studio // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Surgical assistants

- Median annual wage: $116,140
- Median hourly wage: $55.84
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Best restaurants for 10 cuisines in Minneapolis

Suwin // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $117,520
- Median hourly wage: $56.50
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $123,890
- Median hourly wage: $59.56
- Total employment: 100 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $124,740
- Median hourly wage: $59.97
- Total employment: 350 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $130,560
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,160 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Burben // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Air traffic controllers

- Median annual wage: $178,920
- Median hourly wage: $86.02
- Total employment: 580 people (0.3 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.

You may also like: Highest-rated chicken wings in Minneapolis by diners