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1 / 50#50. Social and human service assistants
- Median annual wage: $48,160
- Median hourly wage: $23.15
- Total employment: 170 people (5.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Grants Pass
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 Grants Pass 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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Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $48,240
- Median hourly wage: $23.19
- Total employment: 90 people (2.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Nursing assistants
- Median annual wage: $48,300
- Median hourly wage: $23.22
- Total employment: 380 people (12.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Medical equipment preparers
- Median annual wage: $48,610
- Median hourly wage: $23.37
- Total employment: 40 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $48,630
- Median hourly wage: $23.38
- Total employment: 270 people (8.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $48,810
- Median hourly wage: $23.47
- Total employment: 50 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $48,860
- Median hourly wage: $23.49
- Total employment: 70 people (2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glenn Highcove // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial truck and tractor operators
- Median annual wage: $49,130
- Median hourly wage: $23.62
- Total employment: 50 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lucky Business // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
- Median annual wage: $49,150
- Median hourly wage: $23.63
- Total employment: 70 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DGLimages // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Healthcare support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $49,370
- Median hourly wage: $23.73
- Total employment: 50 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragana Gordic // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Pharmacy technicians
- Median annual wage: $49,920
- Median hourly wage: $24.00
- Total employment: 90 people (3.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $50,180
- Median hourly wage: $24.13
- Total employment: 40 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $50,640
- Median hourly wage: $24.35
- Total employment: 90 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $50,670
- Median hourly wage: $24.36
- Total employment: 80 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $50,740
- Median hourly wage: $24.40
- Total employment: 110 people (3.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Billing and posting clerks
- Median annual wage: $50,970
- Median hourly wage: $24.50
- Total employment: 90 people (2.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
XiXinXing // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Medical records specialists
- Median annual wage: $51,200
- Median hourly wage: $24.61
- Total employment: 40 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $51,370
- Median hourly wage: $24.70
- Total employment: 30 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $51,490
- Median hourly wage: $24.76
- Total employment: 40 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Automotive service technicians and mechanics
- Median annual wage: $52,950
- Median hourly wage: $25.46
- Total employment: 150 people (4.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#29. Carpenters (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.48
- Total employment: 170 people (5.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Protective service workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,000
- Median hourly wage: $25.48
- Total employment: 80 people (2.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Philip Lange // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Highway maintenance workers
- Median annual wage: $53,680
- Median hourly wage: $25.81
- Total employment: 40 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $54,780
- Median hourly wage: $26.34
- Total employment: 40 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $55,660
- Median hourly wage: $26.76
- Total employment: 130 people (4.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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GaudiLab // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $56,400
- Median hourly wage: $27.12
- Total employment: 40 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Dental assistants
- Median annual wage: $56,920
- Median hourly wage: $27.37
- Total employment: 90 people (3.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,730
- Median hourly wage: $27.76
- Total employment: 100 people (3.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $58,170
- Median hourly wage: $27.97
- Total employment: 120 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $58,250
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 80 people (2.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Chefs and head cooks
- Median annual wage: $58,510
- Median hourly wage: $28.13
- Total employment: 50 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $58,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.30
- Total employment: 30 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of personal service workers
- Median annual wage: $58,910
- Median hourly wage: $28.32
- Total employment: 50 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MAYA LAB // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Forest and conservation technicians
- Median annual wage: $59,360
- Median hourly wage: $28.54
- Total employment: 80 people (2.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,810
- Median hourly wage: $28.76
- Total employment: 50 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $60,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.93
- Total employment: 80 people (2.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $61,020
- Median hourly wage: $29.34
- Total employment: 60 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $62,450
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 70 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $62,830
- Median hourly wage: $30.21
- Total employment: 130 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $63,280
- Median hourly wage: $30.42
- Total employment: 40 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Health technologists and technicians, all other
- Median annual wage: $64,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 50 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $64,850
- Median hourly wage: $31.18
- Total employment: 190 people (6.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,810
- Median hourly wage: $35.97
- Total employment: 90 people (2.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $75,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 50 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $76,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.90
- Total employment: 100 people (3.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,860
- Median hourly wage: $36.95
- Total employment: 30 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $79,110
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 80 people (2.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $79,810
- Median hourly wage: $38.37
- Total employment: 120 people (3.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $80,190
- Median hourly wage: $38.55
- Total employment: 60 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $118,360
- Median hourly wage: $56.91
- Total employment: 70 people (2.2 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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