Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Rocky Mount

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 Rocky Mount 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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1 / 50

#50. Automotive body and related repairers

- Median annual wage: $48,200
- Median hourly wage: $23.17
- Total employment: 60 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $48,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.47
- Total employment: 220 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dusan Petkovic // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

- Median annual wage: $48,960
- Median hourly wage: $23.54
- Total employment: 70 people (1.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $49,340
- Median hourly wage: $23.72
- Total employment: 200 people (3.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services

- Median annual wage: $49,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.95
- Total employment: 40 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $49,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.01
- Total employment: 360 people (6.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $50,370
- Median hourly wage: $24.22
- Total employment: 90 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Paramedics

- Median annual wage: $50,680
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: 110 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $50,790
- Median hourly wage: $24.42
- Total employment: 90 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $51,130
- Median hourly wage: $24.58
- Total employment: 110 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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welcomia // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $51,380
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 80 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $52,750
- Median hourly wage: $25.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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13 / 50

#38. Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

- Median annual wage: $53,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.80
- Total employment: 100 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $53,780
- Median hourly wage: $25.86
- Total employment: 160 people (2.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock

15 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $53,890
- Median hourly wage: $25.91
- Total employment: 40 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $54,110
- Median hourly wage: $26.01
- Total employment: 110 people (2.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $54,990
- Median hourly wage: $26.44
- Total employment: 360 people (6.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

18 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,270
- Median hourly wage: $26.57
- Total employment: 230 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

19 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,610
- Median hourly wage: $26.74
- Total employment: 360 people (6.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Surveying and mapping technicians

- Median annual wage: $57,120
- Median hourly wage: $27.46
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $57,630
- Median hourly wage: $27.71
- Total employment: 200 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $57,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 270 people (5.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $58,770
- Median hourly wage: $28.25
- Total employment: 290 people (5.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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24 / 50

#27. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $59,170
- Median hourly wage: $28.45
- Total employment: 100 people (1.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $60,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.88
- Total employment: 470 people (8.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.97
- Total employment: 240 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $60,280
- Median hourly wage: $28.98
- Total employment: 200 people (3.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $60,420
- Median hourly wage: $29.05
- Total employment: 90 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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29 / 50

#22. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $61,050
- Median hourly wage: $29.35
- Total employment: 60 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

#21. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

- Median annual wage: $61,630
- Median hourly wage: $29.63
- Total employment: 100 people (1.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Hitdelight // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Architectural and civil drafters

- Median annual wage: $61,990
- Median hourly wage: $29.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,030
- Median hourly wage: $29.82
- Total employment: 380 people (6.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $62,290
- Median hourly wage: $29.95
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $62,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 40 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Physical therapist assistants

- Median annual wage: $62,840
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 60 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $64,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $66,880
- Median hourly wage: $32.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $67,160
- Median hourly wage: $32.29
- Total employment: 220 people (3.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $68,320
- Median hourly wage: $32.85
- Total employment: 70 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $68,550
- Median hourly wage: $32.96
- Total employment: 100 people (1.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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42 / 50

#9. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $69,760
- Median hourly wage: $33.54
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

43 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.43
- Total employment: 380 people (6.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $73,740
- Median hourly wage: $35.45
- Total employment: 420 people (7.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

45 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.93
- Total employment: 80 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

46 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.99
- Total employment: 70 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

#4. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: 60 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $81,730
- Median hourly wage: $39.29
- Total employment: 60 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $100,880
- Median hourly wage: $48.50
- Total employment: 100 people (1.81 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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