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

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 Sumter 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.

Zahovaev K // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

- Median annual wage: $41,550
- Median hourly wage: $19.98
- Total employment: 150 people (4.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $41,900
- Median hourly wage: $20.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

worradirek // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Helpers--production workers

- Median annual wage: $41,910
- Median hourly wage: $20.15
- Total employment: 80 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

- Median annual wage: $43,600
- Median hourly wage: $20.96
- Total employment: 310 people (8.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $43,760
- Median hourly wage: $21.04
- Total employment: 330 people (9.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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4 PM production // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Automotive service technicians and mechanics

- Median annual wage: $44,700
- Median hourly wage: $21.49
- Total employment: 210 people (5.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kzenon // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Self-enrichment teachers

- Median annual wage: $44,930
- Median hourly wage: $21.60
- Total employment: 60 people (1.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Payroll and timekeeping clerks

- Median annual wage: $45,490
- Median hourly wage: $21.87
- Total employment: 40 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Evgeny Atamanenko // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Maintenance and repair workers, general

- Median annual wage: $45,760
- Median hourly wage: $22.00
- Total employment: 430 people (12.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vitpho // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

- Median annual wage: $46,000
- Median hourly wage: $22.12
- Total employment: 480 people (13.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

- Median annual wage: $46,790
- Median hourly wage: $22.49
- Total employment: 420 people (11.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

XiXinXing // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Medical records specialists

- Median annual wage: $46,800
- Median hourly wage: $22.50
- Total employment: 40 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DC Studio // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance

- Median annual wage: $46,970
- Median hourly wage: $22.58
- Total employment: 40 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Paralegals and legal assistants

- Median annual wage: $47,040
- Median hourly wage: $22.62
- Total employment: 90 people (2.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $47,090
- Median hourly wage: $22.64
- Total employment: 40 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Production, planning, and expediting clerks

- Median annual wage: $47,450
- Median hourly wage: $22.81
- Total employment: 140 people (4.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $47,530
- Median hourly wage: $22.85
- Total employment: 40 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $47,880
- Median hourly wage: $23.02
- Total employment: 110 people (3.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Carpenters

- Median annual wage: $48,170
- Median hourly wage: $23.16
- Total employment: 60 people (1.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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20 / 50

#31. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

- Median annual wage: $48,670
- Median hourly wage: $23.40
- Total employment: 110 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $49,080
- Median hourly wage: $23.59
- Total employment: 230 people (6.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Erin Deleon // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Postal service mail carriers

- Median annual wage: $49,090
- Median hourly wage: $23.60
- Total employment: 140 people (3.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Shift Drive // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Computer user support specialists

- Median annual wage: $49,250
- Median hourly wage: $23.68
- Total employment: 80 people (2.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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24 / 50

#27. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $50,260
- Median hourly wage: $24.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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25 / 50

#26. Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

- Median annual wage: $51,150
- Median hourly wage: $24.59
- Total employment: 150 people (4.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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26 / 50

#25. Insurance sales agents

- Median annual wage: $51,520
- Median hourly wage: $24.77
- Total employment: 80 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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27 / 50

#24. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $52,030
- Median hourly wage: $25.01
- Total employment: 190 people (5.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stokkete // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Information and record clerks, all other

- Median annual wage: $52,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.14
- Total employment: 50 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $53,030
- Median hourly wage: $25.50
- Total employment: 40 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Joey Chung // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel

- Median annual wage: $53,130
- Median hourly wage: $25.55
- Total employment: 200 people (5.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $53,470
- Median hourly wage: $25.71
- Total employment: 90 people (2.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $53,480
- Median hourly wage: $25.71
- Total employment: 40 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

New Africa // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers

- Median annual wage: $53,630
- Median hourly wage: $25.78
- Total employment: 70 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SatawatK // Shutterstock

34 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $54,060
- Median hourly wage: $25.99
- Total employment: 30 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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35 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $55,340
- Median hourly wage: $26.61
- Total employment: 70 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $56,610
- Median hourly wage: $27.22
- Total employment: 60 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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37 / 50

#14. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $57,690
- Median hourly wage: $27.73
- Total employment: 170 people (4.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $57,840
- Median hourly wage: $27.81
- Total employment: 60 people (1.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $59,080
- Median hourly wage: $28.41
- Total employment: 290 people (8.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $60,050
- Median hourly wage: $28.87
- Total employment: 80 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

41 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $61,240
- Median hourly wage: $29.44
- Total employment: 200 people (5.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $61,740
- Median hourly wage: $29.68
- Total employment: 50 people (1.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $62,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 40 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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44 / 50

#7. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $62,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 30 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $65,090
- Median hourly wage: $31.30
- Total employment: 50 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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SritanaN // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $66,870
- Median hourly wage: $32.15
- Total employment: 220 people (6.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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47 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $68,860
- Median hourly wage: $33.11
- Total employment: 330 people (9.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,330
- Median hourly wage: $36.70
- Total employment: 350 people (9.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $78,640
- Median hourly wage: $37.81
- Total employment: 50 people (1.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)