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1 / 50#50. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $66,960
- Median hourly wage: $32.19
- Total employment: 180 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Austin
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 Austin 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. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $68,600
- Median hourly wage: $32.98
- Total employment: 660 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $71,090
- Median hourly wage: $34.18
- Total employment: 950 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $71,290
- Median hourly wage: $34.27
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $72,680
- Median hourly wage: $34.94
- Total employment: 410 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,130
- Median hourly wage: $35.64
- Total employment: 5,240 people (4.16 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: $74,620
- Median hourly wage: $35.88
- Total employment: 17,500 people (13.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $75,160
- Median hourly wage: $36.14
- Total employment: 750 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $75,300
- Median hourly wage: $36.20
- Total employment: 250 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.28
- Total employment: 120 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $75,660
- Median hourly wage: $36.38
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $76,090
- Median hourly wage: $36.58
- Total employment: 290 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $76,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 1,350 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.01
- Total employment: 480 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,470
- Median hourly wage: $37.24
- Total employment: 1,680 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $77,530
- Median hourly wage: $37.28
- Total employment: 8,060 people (6.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $77,910
- Median hourly wage: $37.46
- Total employment: Not available
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,160
- Median hourly wage: $37.58
- Total employment: Not available
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.67
- Total employment: 70 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $78,800
- Median hourly wage: $37.89
- Total employment: 170 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $78,900
- Median hourly wage: $37.94
- Total employment: 210 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $79,000
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 770 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,260
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 1,340 people (1.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $80,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.66
- Total employment: 2,230 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $80,540
- Median hourly wage: $38.72
- Total employment: 2,890 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $80,840
- Median hourly wage: $38.86
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $80,890
- Median hourly wage: $38.89
- Total employment: 1,610 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $81,180
- Median hourly wage: $39.03
- Total employment: 250 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,240
- Median hourly wage: $39.06
- Total employment: 1,010 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
funnyangel // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $81,460
- Median hourly wage: $39.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $82,380
- Median hourly wage: $39.61
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $82,670
- Median hourly wage: $39.74
- Total employment: 160 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $83,820
- Median hourly wage: $40.30
- Total employment: 4,280 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $91,200
- Median hourly wage: $43.84
- Total employment: 220 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $92,040
- Median hourly wage: $44.25
- Total employment: 430 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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industryviews // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $93,010
- Median hourly wage: $44.72
- Total employment: 60 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
fizkes // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Legal support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $93,620
- Median hourly wage: $45.01
- Total employment: 140 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $97,380
- Median hourly wage: $46.82
- Total employment: 890 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $98,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.33
- Total employment: 260 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $99,640
- Median hourly wage: $47.91
- Total employment: 60 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Suwin // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $100,620
- Median hourly wage: $48.38
- Total employment: 390 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $100,880
- Median hourly wage: $48.50
- Total employment: 1,090 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $101,510
- Median hourly wage: $48.80
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $103,830
- Median hourly wage: $49.92
- Total employment: 1,940 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $105,950
- Median hourly wage: $50.94
- Total employment: 160 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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ITisha // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $123,520
- Median hourly wage: $59.38
- Total employment: 90 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $127,540
- Median hourly wage: $61.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $127,860
- Median hourly wage: $61.47
- Total employment: 490 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $129,130
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 280 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $213,470
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 150 people (0.12 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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