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

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 Utica 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.

M2020 // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $60,500
- Median hourly wage: $29.09
- Total employment: 80 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

branislavpudar // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Hazardous materials removal workers

- Median annual wage: $60,530
- Median hourly wage: $29.10
- Total employment: 110 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $60,590
- Median hourly wage: $29.13
- Total employment: 690 people (5.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Chefs and head cooks

- Median annual wage: $60,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.15
- Total employment: 190 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $60,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.25
- Total employment: 180 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

- Median annual wage: $60,930
- Median hourly wage: $29.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $60,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.31
- Total employment: 130 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pressmaster // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers

- Median annual wage: $61,030
- Median hourly wage: $29.34
- Total employment: 30 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other

- Median annual wage: $61,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $61,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Anze Furlan // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#39. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers (tie)

- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 50 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Electricians (tie)

- Median annual wage: $61,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.64
- Total employment: 240 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

brizmaker // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Roofers

- Median annual wage: $61,850
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 80 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $61,940
- Median hourly wage: $29.78
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 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: $62,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.15
- Total employment: 810 people (6.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 410 people (3.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $63,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $63,560
- Median hourly wage: $30.56
- Total employment: 1,050 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $63,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 60 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $64,680
- Median hourly wage: $31.10
- Total employment: 40 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $65,000
- Median hourly wage: $31.25
- Total employment: 150 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $65,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $66,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.85
- Total employment: 500 people (4.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $66,820
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 440 people (3.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

David Pereiras // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Psychiatric aides

- Median annual wage: $68,180
- Median hourly wage: $32.78
- Total employment: 240 people (2.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $68,480
- Median hourly wage: $32.92
- Total employment: 280 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $68,700
- Median hourly wage: $33.03
- Total employment: 1,330 people (11.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nordroden // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $71,000
- Median hourly wage: $34.13
- Total employment: 240 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

29 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $71,720
- Median hourly wage: $34.48
- Total employment: 330 people (2.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $73,170
- Median hourly wage: $35.18
- Total employment: 140 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

31 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,200
- Median hourly wage: $35.19
- Total employment: 460 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $73,690
- Median hourly wage: $35.43
- Total employment: 540 people (4.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $74,690
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $76,290
- Median hourly wage: $36.68
- Total employment: 30 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $78,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.65
- Total employment: 200 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $80,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.66
- Total employment: 230 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $81,020
- Median hourly wage: $38.95
- Total employment: 110 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $85,820
- Median hourly wage: $41.26
- Total employment: 180 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $87,170
- Median hourly wage: $41.91
- Total employment: 100 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $88,220
- Median hourly wage: $42.41
- Total employment: 140 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $89,190
- Median hourly wage: $42.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $89,480
- Median hourly wage: $43.02
- Total employment: 130 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $91,560
- Median hourly wage: $44.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $91,830
- Median hourly wage: $44.15
- Total employment: 70 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $91,980
- Median hourly wage: $44.22
- Total employment: 30 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $92,830
- Median hourly wage: $44.63
- Total employment: 110 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $95,810
- Median hourly wage: $46.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $96,480
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 130 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

49 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $97,760
- Median hourly wage: $47.00
- Total employment: 160 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $103,700
- Median hourly wage: $49.86
- Total employment: 100 people (0.83 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.