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1 / 50#50. Architectural and civil drafters
- Median annual wage: $60,830
- Median hourly wage: $29.24
- Total employment: 140 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Corpus Christi
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 Corpus Christi 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. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $61,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.40
- Total employment: 460 people (2.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $61,430
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 560 people (2.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Studio 72 // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $61,810
- Median hourly wage: $29.71
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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5 / 50#46. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $62,150
- Median hourly wage: $29.88
- Total employment: 40 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $62,200
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 190 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $62,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.10
- Total employment: 790 people (4.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $62,720
- Median hourly wage: $30.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
prochasson frederic // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Boilermakers
- Median annual wage: $63,040
- Median hourly wage: $30.31
- Total employment: 80 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $63,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 380 people (2.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $63,400
- Median hourly wage: $30.48
- Total employment: 310 people (1.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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12 / 50#39. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $63,600
- Median hourly wage: $30.58
- Total employment: 520 people (2.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $63,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.67
- Total employment: 60 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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14 / 50#37. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $64,330
- Median hourly wage: $30.93
- Total employment: 420 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $64,800
- Median hourly wage: $31.15
- Total employment: 150 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $65,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.54
- Total employment: 80 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $66,630
- Median hourly wage: $32.04
- Total employment: 220 people (1.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $69,570
- Median hourly wage: $33.45
- Total employment: 250 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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19 / 50#32. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $70,310
- Median hourly wage: $33.80
- Total employment: 480 people (2.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $72,320
- Median hourly wage: $34.77
- Total employment: 1,210 people (6.44 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: $72,330
- Median hourly wage: $34.78
- Total employment: 1,820 people (9.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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22 / 50#29. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $72,420
- Median hourly wage: $34.82
- Total employment: 1,000 people (5.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 70 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $72,870
- Median hourly wage: $35.03
- Total employment: 360 people (1.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $73,510
- Median hourly wage: $35.34
- Total employment: 220 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $73,930
- Median hourly wage: $35.54
- Total employment: 90 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,580
- Median hourly wage: $35.85
- Total employment: 130 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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28 / 50#23. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $75,010
- Median hourly wage: $36.06
- Total employment: 230 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $75,750
- Median hourly wage: $36.42
- Total employment: 110 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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30 / 50#21. Chemical technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 150 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#19. Electrical power-line installers and repairers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,270
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 310 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $76,270
- Median hourly wage: $36.67
- Total employment: 680 people (3.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $77,310
- Median hourly wage: $37.17
- Total employment: 180 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $77,420
- Median hourly wage: $37.22
- Total employment: 710 people (3.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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35 / 50#16. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,230
- Median hourly wage: $37.61
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $78,280
- Median hourly wage: $37.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $78,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Xmentoys // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,480
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 70 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $79,600
- Median hourly wage: $38.27
- Total employment: 270 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,060
- Median hourly wage: $38.49
- Total employment: 60 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $80,180
- Median hourly wage: $38.55
- Total employment: 190 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $81,880
- Median hourly wage: $39.37
- Total employment: 200 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $83,810
- Median hourly wage: $40.30
- Total employment: 40 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $86,530
- Median hourly wage: $41.60
- Total employment: 350 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $91,850
- Median hourly wage: $44.16
- Total employment: 200 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $94,180
- Median hourly wage: $45.28
- Total employment: 30 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $98,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.29
- Total employment: 960 people (5.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $100,730
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 120 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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49 / 50#2. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $104,910
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $108,490
- Median hourly wage: $52.16
- Total employment: 40 people (0.2 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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