GaudiLab // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $63,730
- Median hourly wage: $30.64
- Total employment: 2,190 people (7.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Toledo
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 Toledo 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. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $64,060
- Median hourly wage: $30.80
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Median annual wage: $64,150
- Median hourly wage: $30.84
- Total employment: 160 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Pixel B // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $64,480
- Median hourly wage: $31.00
- Total employment: 540 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $64,670
- Median hourly wage: $31.09
- Total employment: 110 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $64,950
- Median hourly wage: $31.22
- Total employment: 60 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $65,070
- Median hourly wage: $31.28
- Total employment: 760 people (2.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $65,350
- Median hourly wage: $31.42
- Total employment: 270 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $65,840
- Median hourly wage: $31.65
- Total employment: 990 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $66,030
- Median hourly wage: $31.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $66,090
- Median hourly wage: $31.77
- Total employment: 1,930 people (6.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $66,550
- Median hourly wage: $32.00
- Total employment: 2,630 people (9.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,680
- Median hourly wage: $32.06
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $67,260
- Median hourly wage: $32.34
- Total employment: 40 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
funnyangel // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $67,330
- Median hourly wage: $32.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $67,860
- Median hourly wage: $32.63
- Total employment: 290 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $68,880
- Median hourly wage: $33.12
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Gress Media Inc // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Engine and other machine assemblers
- Median annual wage: $71,050
- Median hourly wage: $34.16
- Total employment: 410 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $72,640
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 120 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $72,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.02
- Total employment: 1,530 people (5.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $73,200
- Median hourly wage: $35.19
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $73,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $74,230
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 300 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $74,520
- Median hourly wage: $35.83
- Total employment: 1,290 people (4.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $75,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.36
- Total employment: 140 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $76,110
- Median hourly wage: $36.59
- Total employment: 140 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,240
- Median hourly wage: $36.65
- Total employment: 560 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $76,670
- Median hourly wage: $36.86
- Total employment: 140 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,830
- Median hourly wage: $36.94
- Total employment: 1,080 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,250
- Median hourly wage: $37.14
- Total employment: 200 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $77,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.25
- Total employment: 610 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,500
- Median hourly wage: $37.26
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,830
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 300 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $78,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.60
- Total employment: 1,370 people (4.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $78,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.65
- Total employment: 370 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $78,430
- Median hourly wage: $37.71
- Total employment: 80 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.14
- Total employment: 130 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $79,590
- Median hourly wage: $38.26
- Total employment: 170 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $81,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.99
- Total employment: 270 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $83,930
- Median hourly wage: $40.35
- Total employment: 240 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $93,320
- Median hourly wage: $44.86
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $94,310
- Median hourly wage: $45.34
- Total employment: 490 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $98,060
- Median hourly wage: $47.15
- Total employment: 340 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $98,510
- Median hourly wage: $47.36
- Total employment: 280 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,880
- Median hourly wage: $48.98
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $104,140
- Median hourly wage: $50.07
- Total employment: 330 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
- Median annual wage: $105,520
- Median hourly wage: $50.73
- Total employment: 90 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $106,810
- Median hourly wage: $51.35
- Total employment: 50 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $117,740
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 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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