Shift Drive // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,740
- Median hourly wage: $30.64
- Total employment: 400 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Rochester, Minnesota
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 Rochester 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. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,870
- Median hourly wage: $30.71
- Total employment: 480 people (3.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.78
- Total employment: 150 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $64,120
- Median hourly wage: $30.83
- Total employment: 440 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $64,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.87
- Total employment: 80 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Joey Chung // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $64,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 410 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $65,330
- Median hourly wage: $31.41
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $65,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.48
- Total employment: 70 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $66,060
- Median hourly wage: $31.76
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $66,300
- Median hourly wage: $31.88
- Total employment: 260 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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manine99 // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $67,390
- Median hourly wage: $32.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $68,420
- Median hourly wage: $32.89
- Total employment: 240 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $72,250
- Median hourly wage: $34.73
- Total employment: 70 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $72,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.86
- Total employment: 960 people (7.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $72,990
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 690 people (5.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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welcomia // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $73,200
- Median hourly wage: $35.19
- Total employment: 70 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $74,630
- Median hourly wage: $35.88
- Total employment: 290 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $74,780
- Median hourly wage: $35.95
- Total employment: 140 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $75,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.25
- Total employment: 90 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $75,830
- Median hourly wage: $36.46
- Total employment: 410 people (3.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $76,200
- Median hourly wage: $36.64
- Total employment: 360 people (2.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $76,490
- Median hourly wage: $36.77
- Total employment: 180 people (1.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $76,580
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 110 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $76,590
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 100 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.24
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
29 / 50#21. Radiologic technologists and technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 730 people (5.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 360 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $77,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 50 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $78,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 120 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Photographers
- Median annual wage: $78,870
- Median hourly wage: $37.92
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $80,260
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 150 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,070
- Median hourly wage: $38.98
- Total employment: 300 people (2.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $81,590
- Median hourly wage: $39.23
- Total employment: 490 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorgev // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of security workers
- Median annual wage: $83,270
- Median hourly wage: $40.03
- Total employment: 30 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $84,530
- Median hourly wage: $40.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $92,150
- Median hourly wage: $44.31
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $93,820
- Median hourly wage: $45.11
- Total employment: 120 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $94,330
- Median hourly wage: $45.35
- Total employment: 500 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $95,260
- Median hourly wage: $45.80
- Total employment: 70 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $96,020
- Median hourly wage: $46.16
- Total employment: 220 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,300
- Median hourly wage: $47.26
- Total employment: 40 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $98,570
- Median hourly wage: $47.39
- Total employment: 40 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $99,150
- Median hourly wage: $47.67
- Total employment: 210 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $99,400
- Median hourly wage: $47.79
- Total employment: 460 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $99,580
- Median hourly wage: $47.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $108,290
- Median hourly wage: $52.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $116,920
- Median hourly wage: $56.21
- Total employment: 110 people (0.9 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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