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1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $66,040
- Median hourly wage: $31.75
- Total employment: 2,620 people (3.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Oklahoma City
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 Oklahoma City 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. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 370 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $67,610
- Median hourly wage: $32.51
- Total employment: 140 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $67,860
- Median hourly wage: $32.62
- Total employment: 250 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $68,100
- Median hourly wage: $32.74
- Total employment: 500 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $68,680
- Median hourly wage: $33.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $69,780
- Median hourly wage: $33.55
- Total employment: 380 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $69,900
- Median hourly wage: $33.60
- Total employment: 90 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Recreational vehicle service technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,650
- Median hourly wage: $33.97
- Total employment: 100 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $72,180
- Median hourly wage: $34.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $72,330
- Median hourly wage: $34.77
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $72,360
- Median hourly wage: $34.79
- Total employment: 120 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $72,530
- Median hourly wage: $34.87
- Total employment: 580 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $73,320
- Median hourly wage: $35.25
- Total employment: 150 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,150
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 180 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,430
- Median hourly wage: $35.79
- Total employment: 3,280 people (4.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $74,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.82
- Total employment: 180 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $74,980
- Median hourly wage: $36.05
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.37
- Total employment: 4,410 people (6.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,330
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 2,860 people (4.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,360
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 1,440 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $77,210
- Median hourly wage: $37.12
- Total employment: 800 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,460
- Median hourly wage: $37.24
- Total employment: 1,050 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $77,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.33
- Total employment: 60 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,870
- Median hourly wage: $37.44
- Total employment: 680 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,790
- Median hourly wage: $38.36
- Total employment: 490 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Median annual wage: $79,980
- Median hourly wage: $38.45
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.50
- Total employment: 670 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $80,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 490 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $81,100
- Median hourly wage: $38.99
- Total employment: 1,470 people (2.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $82,790
- Median hourly wage: $39.80
- Total employment: 160 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $83,300
- Median hourly wage: $40.05
- Total employment: 460 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $84,300
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 190 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peter Braakmann // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
- Median annual wage: $84,690
- Median hourly wage: $40.72
- Total employment: 120 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $84,750
- Median hourly wage: $40.75
- Total employment: 520 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $85,400
- Median hourly wage: $41.06
- Total employment: 110 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $88,390
- Median hourly wage: $42.50
- Total employment: 110 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $89,150
- Median hourly wage: $42.86
- Total employment: 90 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $94,170
- Median hourly wage: $45.28
- Total employment: 60 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $96,080
- Median hourly wage: $46.19
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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42 / 50#9. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $98,030
- Median hourly wage: $47.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $98,850
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: 720 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $99,100
- Median hourly wage: $47.65
- Total employment: 840 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $102,160
- Median hourly wage: $49.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $105,860
- Median hourly wage: $50.89
- Total employment: 840 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $106,850
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 240 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $134,410
- Median hourly wage: $64.62
- Total employment: 90 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $142,380
- Median hourly wage: $68.45
- Total employment: 120 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $160,200
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.22 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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