Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $68,270
- Median hourly wage: $32.82
- Total employment: 1,900 people (1.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Pittsburgh
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 Pittsburgh 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.
You may also like: How much house does $500,000 buy you in Pittsburgh?
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators
- Median annual wage: $68,590
- Median hourly wage: $32.98
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $68,790
- Median hourly wage: $33.07
- Total employment: 450 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.82
- Total employment: 350 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $71,080
- Median hourly wage: $34.17
- Total employment: 460 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best high schools in the Pittsburgh metro area
manine99 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $71,230
- Median hourly wage: $34.24
- Total employment: 200 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $71,430
- Median hourly wage: $34.34
- Total employment: 900 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $74,390
- Median hourly wage: $35.77
- Total employment: 120 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $74,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.91
- Total employment: 4,830 people (4.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $75,000
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 160 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Middle Eastern restaurants in Pittsburgh by diners
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,060
- Median hourly wage: $36.09
- Total employment: 80 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $75,520
- Median hourly wage: $36.31
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
adriaticfoto // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Miscellaneous construction and related workers
- Median annual wage: $75,550
- Median hourly wage: $36.32
- Total employment: Not available
4 PM production // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,020
- Median hourly wage: $36.55
- Total employment: 3,740 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $76,040
- Median hourly wage: $36.56
- Total employment: 830 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants in Pittsburgh by diners
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $76,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.65
- Total employment: 1,690 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $76,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 1,350 people (1.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $76,590
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 920 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $76,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 560 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $77,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.14
- Total employment: 450 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in the Pittsburgh area by diners
Peakstock // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $78,120
- Median hourly wage: $37.56
- Total employment: 380 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $78,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: 170 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $78,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.65
- Total employment: 150 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $79,210
- Median hourly wage: $38.08
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 250 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best private high schools in the Pittsburgh metro area
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $79,680
- Median hourly wage: $38.31
- Total employment: 140 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $80,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.66
- Total employment: 300 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $80,620
- Median hourly wage: $38.76
- Total employment: 5,940 people (5.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $80,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 340 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Tank car, truck, and ship loaders
- Median annual wage: $81,280
- Median hourly wage: $39.08
- Total employment: 40 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-rated Tex-Mex restaurants in Pittsburgh by diners
pio3 // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $82,270
- Median hourly wage: $39.55
- Total employment: 4,800 people (4.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $83,210
- Median hourly wage: $40.00
- Total employment: 150 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $84,310
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 300 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $85,430
- Median hourly wage: $41.07
- Total employment: 530 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $87,000
- Median hourly wage: $41.83
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Best places to live in the Pittsburgh metro area
prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $89,210
- Median hourly wage: $42.89
- Total employment: 160 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $89,230
- Median hourly wage: $42.90
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $89,310
- Median hourly wage: $42.94
- Total employment: 610 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $93,320
- Median hourly wage: $44.86
- Total employment: 140 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $97,160
- Median hourly wage: $46.71
- Total employment: 150 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Top 10 Cities to Rent an Apartment: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $98,870
- Median hourly wage: $47.54
- Total employment: 280 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $99,190
- Median hourly wage: $47.69
- Total employment: 1,400 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $100,030
- Median hourly wage: $48.09
- Total employment: 260 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $100,930
- Median hourly wage: $48.52
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $101,930
- Median hourly wage: $49.01
- Total employment: 1,170 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Pittsburgh that require a graduate degree
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,910
- Median hourly wage: $50.92
- Total employment: 860 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $106,910
- Median hourly wage: $51.40
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $109,970
- Median hourly wage: $52.87
- Total employment: 120 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $131,610
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 240 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $131,730
- Median hourly wage: $63.33
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 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.
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Pittsburgh in the last week
