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1 / 50#50. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,660
- Median hourly wage: $32.05
- Total employment: 530 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Nashville
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 Nashville 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. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $66,790
- Median hourly wage: $32.11
- Total employment: 4,470 people (4.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $66,950
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 710 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Hitdelight // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $67,520
- Median hourly wage: $32.46
- Total employment: 520 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Insurance appraisers, auto damage
- Median annual wage: $68,010
- Median hourly wage: $32.70
- Total employment: Not available
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $68,120
- Median hourly wage: $32.75
- Total employment: 290 people (0.26 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: $68,170
- Median hourly wage: $32.78
- Total employment: 19,240 people (17.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $68,190
- Median hourly wage: $32.78
- Total employment: 320 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,490
- Median hourly wage: $33.41
- Total employment: 530 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $69,830
- Median hourly wage: $33.57
- Total employment: 2,310 people (2.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $70,960
- Median hourly wage: $34.12
- Total employment: 830 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $72,160
- Median hourly wage: $34.69
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,550
- Median hourly wage: $34.88
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 2,090 people (1.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Xmentoys // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $73,170
- Median hourly wage: $35.18
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Legal support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $73,410
- Median hourly wage: $35.29
- Total employment: 290 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedomz // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $73,490
- Median hourly wage: $35.33
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $73,700
- Median hourly wage: $35.44
- Total employment: 1,520 people (1.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $74,290
- Median hourly wage: $35.72
- Total employment: 690 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $74,660
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 230 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,980
- Median hourly wage: $36.05
- Total employment: 4,540 people (4.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $75,300
- Median hourly wage: $36.20
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $75,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.26
- Total employment: 640 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $75,620
- Median hourly wage: $36.36
- Total employment: 3,490 people (3.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $76,470
- Median hourly wage: $36.76
- Total employment: 5,940 people (5.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,550
- Median hourly wage: $36.81
- Total employment: 1,160 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $77,030
- Median hourly wage: $37.04
- Total employment: Not available
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 1,290 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $77,690
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: Not available
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $78,140
- Median hourly wage: $37.57
- Total employment: 980 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,800
- Median hourly wage: $38.85
- Total employment: 110 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $81,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.35
- Total employment: 290 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $82,260
- Median hourly wage: $39.55
- Total employment: 100 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $82,850
- Median hourly wage: $39.83
- Total employment: 580 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $83,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 120 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $83,850
- Median hourly wage: $40.31
- Total employment: 150 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $84,320
- Median hourly wage: $40.54
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $85,340
- Median hourly wage: $41.03
- Total employment: Not available
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Sound engineering technicians
- Median annual wage: $85,690
- Median hourly wage: $41.20
- Total employment: 330 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $88,910
- Median hourly wage: $42.75
- Total employment: 450 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $90,210
- Median hourly wage: $43.37
- Total employment: 50 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $91,110
- Median hourly wage: $43.80
- Total employment: 1,350 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $92,160
- Median hourly wage: $44.31
- Total employment: 1,540 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $94,880
- Median hourly wage: $45.62
- Total employment: 1,600 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
45 / 50#5. Power plant operators (tie)
- Median annual wage: $98,220
- Median hourly wage: $47.22
- Total employment: 90 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Suwin // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay (tie)
- Median annual wage: $98,220
- Median hourly wage: $47.22
- Total employment: 80 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $98,840
- Median hourly wage: $47.52
- Total employment: 50 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $100,060
- Median hourly wage: $48.10
- Total employment: 1,750 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $150,220
- Median hourly wage: $72.22
- Total employment: 60 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $159,990
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 350 people (0.32 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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