NIKCOA // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Medical transcriptionists
- Median annual wage: $52,310
- Median hourly wage: $25.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Rapid City
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 Rapid City 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. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $52,600
- Median hourly wage: $25.29
- Total employment: 380 people (5.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $53,300
- Median hourly wage: $25.63
- Total employment: 70 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $54,030
- Median hourly wage: $25.98
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $54,080
- Median hourly wage: $26.00
- Total employment: 110 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Forest and conservation technicians
- Median annual wage: $54,310
- Median hourly wage: $26.11
- Total employment: 130 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $54,800
- Median hourly wage: $26.35
- Total employment: 90 people (1.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $55,060
- Median hourly wage: $26.47
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $55,180
- Median hourly wage: $26.53
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $55,290
- Median hourly wage: $26.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Sales and related workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $55,580
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 30 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $55,720
- Median hourly wage: $26.79
- Total employment: 40 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $55,930
- Median hourly wage: $26.89
- Total employment: 420 people (5.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $56,330
- Median hourly wage: $27.08
- Total employment: 760 people (10.54 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: $56,400
- Median hourly wage: $27.12
- Total employment: 310 people (4.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $57,200
- Median hourly wage: $27.50
- Total employment: 90 people (1.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $57,410
- Median hourly wage: $27.60
- Total employment: 480 people (6.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $57,560
- Median hourly wage: $27.67
- Total employment: 50 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $57,820
- Median hourly wage: $27.80
- Total employment: 300 people (4.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $57,870
- Median hourly wage: $27.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kzenon // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $58,380
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 50 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $58,390
- Median hourly wage: $28.07
- Total employment: 100 people (1.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $59,230
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 300 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $59,290
- Median hourly wage: $28.50
- Total employment: 100 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
David Spates // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $59,560
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 260 people (3.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $59,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $59,600
- Median hourly wage: $28.66
- Total employment: 170 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $60,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 240 people (3.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $61,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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John Leung // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $61,560
- Median hourly wage: $29.59
- Total employment: 40 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 190 people (2.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Cargo and freight agents
- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 30 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $62,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $64,420
- Median hourly wage: $30.97
- Total employment: 80 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rezoff // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Plant and system operators, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,660
- Median hourly wage: $31.57
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $66,530
- Median hourly wage: $31.99
- Total employment: 150 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,830
- Median hourly wage: $33.57
- Total employment: 140 people (1.94 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: $72,860
- Median hourly wage: $35.03
- Total employment: 170 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $72,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 people (0.62 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: $74,520
- Median hourly wage: $35.83
- Total employment: 730 people (10.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $74,930
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 150 people (2.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,260
- Median hourly wage: $36.18
- Total employment: 420 people (5.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,440
- Median hourly wage: $37.23
- Total employment: 70 people (0.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $78,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.86
- Total employment: 260 people (3.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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santi lumubol // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,950
- Median hourly wage: $37.96
- Total employment: Not available
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $84,020
- Median hourly wage: $40.39
- Total employment: 160 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $84,080
- Median hourly wage: $40.43
- Total employment: 170 people (2.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $98,820
- Median hourly wage: $47.51
- Total employment: 40 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $108,880
- Median hourly wage: $52.35
- Total employment: 100 people (1.36 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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