Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Scranton

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 Scranton 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 Scranton?

welcomia // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $59,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 420 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $59,590
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 460 people (1.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $59,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.65
- Total employment: 190 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Legal support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $59,720
- Median hourly wage: $28.71
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gearstd // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#45. Mechanical drafters (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 120 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Transportation security screeners (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Postal service clerks

- Median annual wage: $60,030
- Median hourly wage: $28.86
- Total employment: 150 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,490
- Median hourly wage: $29.08
- Total employment: 360 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Occupational health and safety technicians

- Median annual wage: $60,570
- Median hourly wage: $29.12
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Physical therapist assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.20
- Total employment: 210 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $61,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.48
- Total employment: 1,920 people (7.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers

- Median annual wage: $61,460
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 170 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.61
- Total employment: 2,040 people (8.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $61,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 770 people (3.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $61,880
- Median hourly wage: $29.75
- Total employment: 2,400 people (9.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Health information technologists and medical registrars

- Median annual wage: $62,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 30 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Pixel B // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Tool and die makers

- Median annual wage: $62,550
- Median hourly wage: $30.07
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $62,640
- Median hourly wage: $30.12
- Total employment: 1,100 people (4.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Hitdelight // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Architectural and civil drafters

- Median annual wage: $63,130
- Median hourly wage: $30.35
- Total employment: 130 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $63,690
- Median hourly wage: $30.62
- Total employment: 360 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Where people in Scranton are looking to buy homes

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $64,010
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $65,250
- Median hourly wage: $31.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $65,380
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 410 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $65,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 1,000 people (3.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ALPA PROD // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $65,860
- Median hourly wage: $31.66
- Total employment: 1,580 people (6.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

anyaivanova // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $66,120
- Median hourly wage: $31.79
- Total employment: 120 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $66,460
- Median hourly wage: $31.95
- Total employment: 850 people (3.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers

- Median annual wage: $68,590
- Median hourly wage: $32.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $70,610
- Median hourly wage: $33.95
- Total employment: 90 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $70,940
- Median hourly wage: $34.11
- Total employment: 1,530 people (6.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $73,270
- Median hourly wage: $35.23
- Total employment: 190 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $74,070
- Median hourly wage: $35.61
- Total employment: 1,190 people (4.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vera Larina // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Sheet metal workers

- Median annual wage: $74,880
- Median hourly wage: $36.00
- Total employment: 140 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $75,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 550 people (2.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $75,690
- Median hourly wage: $36.39
- Total employment: 90 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Lowest-paying jobs in Scranton

4 PM production // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $75,790
- Median hourly wage: $36.44
- Total employment: 930 people (3.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $76,500
- Median hourly wage: $36.78
- Total employment: 240 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $76,640
- Median hourly wage: $36.85
- Total employment: 200 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Insulation workers, mechanical

- Median annual wage: $77,090
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 50 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $77,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 140 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Movies and TV shows casting in Scranton

sculpies // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $78,410
- Median hourly wage: $37.70
- Total employment: 920 people (3.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $78,600
- Median hourly wage: $37.79
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $78,960
- Median hourly wage: $37.96
- Total employment: 40 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $81,480
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 130 people (0.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $82,190
- Median hourly wage: $39.52
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

You may also like: Car insurance rates in Scranton October 2025

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $88,900
- Median hourly wage: $42.74
- Total employment: 230 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $91,710
- Median hourly wage: $44.09
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $96,690
- Median hourly wage: $46.49
- Total employment: 350 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Electrical and electronics drafters

- Median annual wage: $98,130
- Median hourly wage: $47.18
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $105,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.66
- Total employment: 140 people (0.57 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: Scranton's 2025 housing market year in review