kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $64,170
- Median hourly wage: $30.85
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Charleston, South Carolina
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 Charleston 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. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $64,380
- Median hourly wage: $30.95
- Total employment: 370 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Chemical plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $65,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.52
- Total employment: 390 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $65,570
- Median hourly wage: $31.52
- Total employment: 210 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $65,580
- Median hourly wage: $31.53
- Total employment: 370 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $65,680
- Median hourly wage: $31.58
- Total employment: 4,040 people (10.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $66,420
- Median hourly wage: $31.93
- Total employment: 110 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Josep Suria // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $67,240
- Median hourly wage: $32.33
- Total employment: 140 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $67,430
- Median hourly wage: $32.42
- Total employment: 530 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,250
- Median hourly wage: $33.29
- Total employment: 420 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.71
- Total employment: 640 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $70,950
- Median hourly wage: $34.11
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $72,040
- Median hourly wage: $34.64
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 430 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,970
- Median hourly wage: $35.08
- Total employment: 120 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $74,150
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 300 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $74,980
- Median hourly wage: $36.05
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,370
- Median hourly wage: $36.23
- Total employment: 1,620 people (4.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $76,220
- Median hourly wage: $36.65
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $76,350
- Median hourly wage: $36.71
- Total employment: 2,150 people (5.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,970
- Median hourly wage: $37.00
- Total employment: 160 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $77,150
- Median hourly wage: $37.09
- Total employment: 200 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 510 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,440
- Median hourly wage: $37.23
- Total employment: 180 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $77,700
- Median hourly wage: $37.36
- Total employment: 300 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $77,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $78,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.50
- Total employment: 600 people (1.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $78,240
- Median hourly wage: $37.62
- Total employment: 190 people (0.5 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: $78,730
- Median hourly wage: $37.85
- Total employment: 1,560 people (4.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,140
- Median hourly wage: $38.05
- Total employment: 370 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $79,430
- Median hourly wage: $38.19
- Total employment: 340 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $80,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.59
- Total employment: 250 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $80,700
- Median hourly wage: $38.80
- Total employment: 170 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $81,680
- Median hourly wage: $39.27
- Total employment: 250 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $82,360
- Median hourly wage: $39.59
- Total employment: 170 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $82,620
- Median hourly wage: $39.72
- Total employment: 320 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $83,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.94
- Total employment: 580 people (1.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $83,300
- Median hourly wage: $40.05
- Total employment: 200 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $83,460
- Median hourly wage: $40.13
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $84,550
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 100 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $86,490
- Median hourly wage: $41.58
- Total employment: Not available
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $91,310
- Median hourly wage: $43.90
- Total employment: 590 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.23
- Total employment: 100 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $96,310
- Median hourly wage: $46.30
- Total employment: 50 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Crossing guards and flaggers
- Median annual wage: $99,060
- Median hourly wage: $47.62
- Total employment: 160 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
curraheeshutter // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Ship engineers
- Median annual wage: $99,670
- Median hourly wage: $47.92
- Total employment: 50 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $100,980
- Median hourly wage: $48.55
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,990
- Median hourly wage: $49.03
- Total employment: 480 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $160,160
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 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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