GaudiLab // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $62,720
- Median hourly wage: $30.15
- Total employment: 2,600 people (8.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Akron
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 Akron 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. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $62,820
- Median hourly wage: $30.20
- Total employment: 390 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $62,980
- Median hourly wage: $30.28
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,000
- Median hourly wage: $30.29
- Total employment: 70 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 90 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $63,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 1,220 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $63,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.39
- Total employment: 310 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.50
- Total employment: 220 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,500
- Median hourly wage: $30.53
- Total employment: 990 people (3.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 160 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $64,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.89
- Total employment: 110 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $64,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 650 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $64,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.98
- Total employment: 1,630 people (5.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Hearing aid specialists
- Median annual wage: $64,870
- Median hourly wage: $31.19
- Total employment: 30 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $65,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.32
- Total employment: 140 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $65,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.45
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $66,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 90 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $66,580
- Median hourly wage: $32.01
- Total employment: 160 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $66,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 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: $67,710
- Median hourly wage: $32.56
- Total employment: 1,780 people (5.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $68,960
- Median hourly wage: $33.15
- Total employment: 110 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $71,510
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 510 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $71,820
- Median hourly wage: $34.53
- Total employment: 260 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $72,280
- Median hourly wage: $34.75
- Total employment: 70 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 4,080 people (12.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $73,900
- Median hourly wage: $35.53
- Total employment: 120 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $74,470
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 1,430 people (4.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,790
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 100 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.07
- Total employment: 1,190 people (3.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,280
- Median hourly wage: $36.19
- Total employment: 90 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $75,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.32
- Total employment: 1,660 people (5.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $75,760
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: 290 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Photostriker // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,970
- Median hourly wage: $36.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $76,100
- Median hourly wage: $36.59
- Total employment: 340 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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lenetstan // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,950
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 530 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.41
- Total employment: 90 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 130 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $78,890
- Median hourly wage: $37.93
- Total employment: 1,350 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $79,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.99
- Total employment: 450 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Peakstock // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $80,880
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 130 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $81,920
- Median hourly wage: $39.38
- Total employment: 490 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $82,600
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 90 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $84,980
- Median hourly wage: $40.85
- Total employment: 90 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $85,400
- Median hourly wage: $41.06
- Total employment: 170 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $86,080
- Median hourly wage: $41.39
- Total employment: 200 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $97,570
- Median hourly wage: $46.91
- Total employment: 620 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $98,110
- Median hourly wage: $47.17
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,140
- Median hourly wage: $47.18
- Total employment: 320 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $98,440
- Median hourly wage: $47.33
- Total employment: 190 people (0.6 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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