SGr // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Machine feeders and offbearers
- Median annual wage: $71,910
- Median hourly wage: $34.57
- Total employment: 410 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Kansas City
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 Kansas City 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. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $72,260
- Median hourly wage: $34.74
- Total employment: 170 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $72,590
- Median hourly wage: $34.90
- Total employment: 140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $72,600
- Median hourly wage: $34.90
- Total employment: 3,300 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $73,180
- Median hourly wage: $35.18
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $73,550
- Median hourly wage: $35.36
- Total employment: 4,510 people (4.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,100
- Median hourly wage: $35.62
- Total employment: 5,260 people (4.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $74,560
- Median hourly wage: $35.85
- Total employment: 4,920 people (4.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $75,870
- Median hourly wage: $36.48
- Total employment: 920 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $76,130
- Median hourly wage: $36.60
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Airfield operations specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,190
- Median hourly wage: $36.63
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
12 / 50#38. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 390 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Radiologic technologists and technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 1,870 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $77,070
- Median hourly wage: $37.05
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,690
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: 3,850 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $78,150
- Median hourly wage: $37.57
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $78,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.70
- Total employment: 3,190 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $78,590
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.81
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $79,550
- Median hourly wage: $38.25
- Total employment: 850 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $79,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,860
- Median hourly wage: $38.40
- Total employment: 420 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $79,950
- Median hourly wage: $38.44
- Total employment: 1,040 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,370
- Median hourly wage: $38.64
- Total employment: 790 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $81,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.07
- Total employment: 440 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $81,500
- Median hourly wage: $39.19
- Total employment: 1,310 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $81,810
- Median hourly wage: $39.33
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $81,830
- Median hourly wage: $39.34
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $82,800
- Median hourly wage: $39.81
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $82,810
- Median hourly wage: $39.81
- Total employment: 190 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $82,950
- Median hourly wage: $39.88
- Total employment: 550 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $83,380
- Median hourly wage: $40.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.18
- Total employment: 5,200 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $86,830
- Median hourly wage: $41.75
- Total employment: 1,660 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Said M // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Service unit operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $88,880
- Median hourly wage: $42.73
- Total employment: 30 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $90,180
- Median hourly wage: $43.36
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $91,620
- Median hourly wage: $44.05
- Total employment: 820 people (0.75 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: $91,710
- Median hourly wage: $44.09
- Total employment: 1,170 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $91,810
- Median hourly wage: $44.14
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $95,180
- Median hourly wage: $45.76
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $97,880
- Median hourly wage: $47.06
- Total employment: 1,360 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $98,740
- Median hourly wage: $47.47
- Total employment: 190 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $98,850
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: Not available
SofikoS // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $98,860
- Median hourly wage: $47.53
- Total employment: 750 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $100,130
- Median hourly wage: $48.14
- Total employment: 920 people (0.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,480
- Median hourly wage: $48.79
- Total employment: 1,230 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $111,220
- Median hourly wage: $53.47
- Total employment: 130 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $121,960
- Median hourly wage: $58.64
- Total employment: 240 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $134,100
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $159,120
- Median hourly wage: $76.50
- Total employment: 400 people (0.36 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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