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

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 Fargo 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. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $62,220
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $63,100
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 140 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $63,150
- Median hourly wage: $30.36
- Total employment: 640 people (4.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $63,320
- Median hourly wage: $30.44
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kot500 // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $63,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.60
- Total employment: 480 people (3.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $63,850
- Median hourly wage: $30.70
- Total employment: 250 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#42. Stationary engineers and boiler operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 70 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ramon Espelt Photography // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Home appliance repairers

- Median annual wage: $64,180
- Median hourly wage: $30.86
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SritanaN // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $64,260
- Median hourly wage: $30.89
- Total employment: 520 people (3.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 240 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $64,700
- Median hourly wage: $31.11
- Total employment: 270 people (1.81 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: $64,790
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 930 people (6.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $65,450
- Median hourly wage: $31.47
- Total employment: 190 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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16 / 50

#35. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

- Median annual wage: $65,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 440 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hitdelight // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Architectural and civil drafters

- Median annual wage: $65,990
- Median hourly wage: $31.73
- Total employment: 190 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $67,990
- Median hourly wage: $32.69
- Total employment: 500 people (3.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $70,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.75
- Total employment: 230 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

20 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,230
- Median hourly wage: $33.77
- Total employment: 640 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

21 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $70,540
- Median hourly wage: $33.91
- Total employment: 1,770 people (12.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gearstd // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Mechanical drafters

- Median annual wage: $71,860
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $72,080
- Median hourly wage: $34.65
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $73,560
- Median hourly wage: $35.37
- Total employment: 860 people (5.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

25 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $74,540
- Median hourly wage: $35.84
- Total employment: 450 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $74,670
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 60 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $75,100
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 400 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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28 / 50

#23. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 70 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $77,540
- Median hourly wage: $37.28
- Total employment: 40 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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30 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.41
- Total employment: 850 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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31 / 50

#20. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $78,140
- Median hourly wage: $37.57
- Total employment: 50 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $78,450
- Median hourly wage: $37.71
- Total employment: 460 people (3.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $78,580
- Median hourly wage: $37.78
- Total employment: 140 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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34 / 50

#17. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $78,840
- Median hourly wage: $37.90
- Total employment: 370 people (2.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

#16. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $79,160
- Median hourly wage: $38.06
- Total employment: 150 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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36 / 50

#15. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $79,350
- Median hourly wage: $38.15
- Total employment: 130 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $80,720
- Median hourly wage: $38.81
- Total employment: 50 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $80,740
- Median hourly wage: $38.82
- Total employment: 80 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $80,830
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 210 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $82,370
- Median hourly wage: $39.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $83,860
- Median hourly wage: $40.32
- Total employment: 100 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $86,160
- Median hourly wage: $41.42
- Total employment: 90 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $86,540
- Median hourly wage: $41.61
- Total employment: 90 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

44 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $87,690
- Median hourly wage: $42.16
- Total employment: 90 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $95,540
- Median hourly wage: $45.94
- Total employment: 160 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Medical equipment repairers

- Median annual wage: $96,410
- Median hourly wage: $46.35
- Total employment: 100 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $96,930
- Median hourly wage: $46.60
- Total employment: 40 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $107,480
- Median hourly wage: $51.67
- Total employment: 110 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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49 / 50

#2. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $113,580
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 80 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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50 / 50

#1. Riggers

- Median annual wage: $165,050
- Median hourly wage: $79.35
- Total employment: 40 people (0.3 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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