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1 / 50#50. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,680
- Median hourly wage: $35.90
- Total employment: 400 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Dallas
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 Dallas 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. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $74,810
- Median hourly wage: $35.96
- Total employment: 2,700 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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3 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $75,120
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 21,900 people (5.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $75,170
- Median hourly wage: $36.14
- Total employment: 580 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $76,080
- Median hourly wage: $36.58
- Total employment: 710 people (0.18 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: $76,410
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 18,280 people (4.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $76,800
- Median hourly wage: $36.92
- Total employment: 2,820 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $77,260
- Median hourly wage: $37.14
- Total employment: 6,520 people (1.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.25
- Total employment: 2,230 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 5,530 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $77,690
- Median hourly wage: $37.35
- Total employment: 8,960 people (2.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,860
- Median hourly wage: $37.43
- Total employment: 3,100 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladimir Endovitskiy // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Rotary drill operators, oil and gas
- Median annual wage: $78,220
- Median hourly wage: $37.61
- Total employment: 430 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $78,230
- Median hourly wage: $37.61
- Total employment: 920 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $78,470
- Median hourly wage: $37.73
- Total employment: 410 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,320
- Median hourly wage: $38.14
- Total employment: 4,690 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Bailiffs
- Median annual wage: $79,330
- Median hourly wage: $38.14
- Total employment: 70 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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18 / 50#33. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $79,970
- Median hourly wage: $38.45
- Total employment: 1,160 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $80,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.65
- Total employment: 840 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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20 / 50#31. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $80,420
- Median hourly wage: $38.67
- Total employment: 200 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $81,640
- Median hourly wage: $39.25
- Total employment: 2,950 people (0.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yulai Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Surgical assistants
- Median annual wage: $83,660
- Median hourly wage: $40.22
- Total employment: 720 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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23 / 50#28. Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Median annual wage: $83,870
- Median hourly wage: $40.32
- Total employment: 2,450 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $84,980
- Median hourly wage: $40.86
- Total employment: 1,850 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $85,780
- Median hourly wage: $41.24
- Total employment: 8,920 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Model makers, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $85,820
- Median hourly wage: $41.26
- Total employment: 70 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $88,280
- Median hourly wage: $42.44
- Total employment: 7,180 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $90,690
- Median hourly wage: $43.60
- Total employment: 6,230 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $91,470
- Median hourly wage: $43.97
- Total employment: 16,120 people (4.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $92,540
- Median hourly wage: $44.49
- Total employment: 1,540 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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funnyangel // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $92,610
- Median hourly wage: $44.52
- Total employment: 300 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $94,660
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 490 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $95,610
- Median hourly wage: $45.97
- Total employment: 2,640 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $96,060
- Median hourly wage: $46.18
- Total employment: 840 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
socrates471 // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Media and communication equipment workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $97,200
- Median hourly wage: $46.73
- Total employment: 80 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $97,790
- Median hourly wage: $47.01
- Total employment: 330 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $99,210
- Median hourly wage: $47.70
- Total employment: 510 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $99,590
- Median hourly wage: $47.88
- Total employment: 100 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $100,930
- Median hourly wage: $48.52
- Total employment: 230 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $101,990
- Median hourly wage: $49.04
- Total employment: 9,740 people (2.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $103,010
- Median hourly wage: $49.53
- Total employment: 180 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.62
- Total employment: 270 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $104,470
- Median hourly wage: $50.23
- Total employment: 430 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $105,410
- Median hourly wage: $50.68
- Total employment: 210 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $107,880
- Median hourly wage: $51.87
- Total employment: 210 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $112,340
- Median hourly wage: $54.01
- Total employment: 980 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $116,120
- Median hourly wage: $55.83
- Total employment: 210 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $121,470
- Median hourly wage: $58.40
- Total employment: 1,430 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $182,890
- Median hourly wage: $87.93
- Total employment: 780 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $188,920
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 2,480 people (0.62 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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