Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in New York 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 New York 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.

Andrei Agape // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Avionics technicians

- Median annual wage: $97,870
- Median hourly wage: $47.05
- Total employment: 200 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $98,030
- Median hourly wage: $47.13
- Total employment: 550 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $98,490
- Median hourly wage: $47.35
- Total employment: 13,440 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $98,610
- Median hourly wage: $47.41
- Total employment: 11,790 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $98,730
- Median hourly wage: $47.47
- Total employment: 3,760 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

6 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $99,360
- Median hourly wage: $47.77
- Total employment: 2,920 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kokulina // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance

- Median annual wage: $99,650
- Median hourly wage: $47.91
- Total employment: 290 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $100,440
- Median hourly wage: $48.29
- Total employment: 9,110 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

9 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $101,340
- Median hourly wage: $48.72
- Total employment: 390 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $101,390
- Median hourly wage: $48.75
- Total employment: 570 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Sergii Kovalov // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Fabric and apparel patternmakers

- Median annual wage: $101,620
- Median hourly wage: $48.86
- Total employment: 760 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman023_photography // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $103,050
- Median hourly wage: $49.54
- Total employment: 760 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $103,640
- Median hourly wage: $49.83
- Total employment: 10,240 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $103,880
- Median hourly wage: $49.94
- Total employment: 3,490 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $104,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.00
- Total employment: 7,140 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $104,520
- Median hourly wage: $50.25
- Total employment: 3,530 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Electrical and electronics drafters

- Median annual wage: $104,560
- Median hourly wage: $50.27
- Total employment: 810 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $104,840
- Median hourly wage: $50.40
- Total employment: 6,570 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $104,850
- Median hourly wage: $50.41
- Total employment: 3,100 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $104,870
- Median hourly wage: $50.42
- Total employment: 31,520 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $105,250
- Median hourly wage: $50.60
- Total employment: 15,770 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $105,790
- Median hourly wage: $50.86
- Total employment: 54,830 people (5.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $106,540
- Median hourly wage: $51.22
- Total employment: 7,460 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels

- Median annual wage: $106,590
- Median hourly wage: $51.25
- Total employment: 2,510 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $107,690
- Median hourly wage: $51.77
- Total employment: 8,590 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Gas plant operators

- Median annual wage: $107,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.83
- Total employment: 240 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Guiderom // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers

- Median annual wage: $108,350
- Median hourly wage: $52.09
- Total employment: 70 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Transit and railroad police

- Median annual wage: $108,490
- Median hourly wage: $52.16
- Total employment: 1,110 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Krysja // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Nuclear technicians

- Median annual wage: $108,670
- Median hourly wage: $52.25
- Total employment: 30 people (0.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ITisha // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners

- Median annual wage: $108,720
- Median hourly wage: $52.27
- Total employment: 800 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $109,480
- Median hourly wage: $52.64
- Total employment: 2,870 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $109,770
- Median hourly wage: $52.77
- Total employment: 19,460 people (2.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

My Ocean Production // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $117,560
- Median hourly wage: $56.52
- Total employment: 1,050 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $119,760
- Median hourly wage: $57.58
- Total employment: 3,490 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $120,270
- Median hourly wage: $57.82
- Total employment: 2,020 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Parilov // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Pile driver operators

- Median annual wage: $125,070
- Median hourly wage: $60.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $127,040
- Median hourly wage: $61.08
- Total employment: 3,250 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $127,600
- Median hourly wage: $61.34
- Total employment: 9,420 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Flight attendants

- Median annual wage: $128,050
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 16,500 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $128,340
- Median hourly wage: $61.70
- Total employment: 1,250 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $128,680
- Median hourly wage: $61.87
- Total employment: 330 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Radiation therapists

- Median annual wage: $131,490
- Median hourly wage: $63.22
- Total employment: 1,200 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

curraheeshutter // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Ship engineers

- Median annual wage: $131,650
- Median hourly wage: $63.29
- Total employment: 680 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $131,740
- Median hourly wage: $63.34
- Total employment: 4,210 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $137,520
- Median hourly wage: $66.12
- Total employment: 13,930 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

motodan // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Hoist and winch operators

- Median annual wage: $141,930
- Median hourly wage: $68.24
- Total employment: Not available

Aniwat phromrungsee // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Commercial divers

- Median annual wage: $154,000
- Median hourly wage: $74.04
- Total employment: 190 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Burben // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Air traffic controllers

- Median annual wage: $180,090
- Median hourly wage: $86.58
- Total employment: 1,090 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Neale Cousland // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $214,630
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 570 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $224,840
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 1,270 people (0.14 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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