Oleksandr Berezko // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Painters, construction and maintenance
- Median annual wage: $46,990
- Median hourly wage: $22.59
- Total employment: 110 people (1.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Texarkana
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 Texarkana 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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Vera Larina // Shutterstock
2 / 50#49. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $47,010
- Median hourly wage: $22.60
- Total employment: 70 people (1.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $47,830
- Median hourly wage: $23.00
- Total employment: 30 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $48,250
- Median hourly wage: $23.20
- Total employment: 130 people (2.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $48,310
- Median hourly wage: $23.23
- Total employment: 620 people (10.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $48,500
- Median hourly wage: $23.32
- Total employment: 40 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $49,050
- Median hourly wage: $23.58
- Total employment: 280 people (4.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $49,190
- Median hourly wage: $23.65
- Total employment: 200 people (3.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $49,990
- Median hourly wage: $24.03
- Total employment: 70 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $50,240
- Median hourly wage: $24.15
- Total employment: 130 people (2.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $50,310
- Median hourly wage: $24.19
- Total employment: 90 people (1.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vitpho // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $50,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.19
- Total employment: 1,250 people (21.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $50,960
- Median hourly wage: $24.50
- Total employment: 190 people (3.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dragon Images // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Chemical technicians
- Median annual wage: $51,320
- Median hourly wage: $24.67
- Total employment: 30 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Office and administrative support workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $51,440
- Median hourly wage: $24.73
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $51,940
- Median hourly wage: $24.97
- Total employment: 30 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $52,460
- Median hourly wage: $25.22
- Total employment: 90 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $52,670
- Median hourly wage: $25.32
- Total employment: 490 people (8.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $53,170
- Median hourly wage: $25.56
- Total employment: 90 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $53,450
- Median hourly wage: $25.70
- Total employment: 180 people (3.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Procurement clerks
- Median annual wage: $54,390
- Median hourly wage: $26.15
- Total employment: 70 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $55,000
- Median hourly wage: $26.44
- Total employment: 280 people (4.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lighthunter // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Medical equipment repairers
- Median annual wage: $55,610
- Median hourly wage: $26.74
- Total employment: 110 people (1.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $56,020
- Median hourly wage: $26.93
- Total employment: 570 people (9.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $56,660
- Median hourly wage: $27.24
- Total employment: 230 people (3.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $56,890
- Median hourly wage: $27.35
- Total employment: 100 people (1.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $57,390
- Median hourly wage: $27.59
- Total employment: 370 people (6.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $57,510
- Median hourly wage: $27.65
- Total employment: 410 people (7.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $58,980
- Median hourly wage: $28.36
- Total employment: 420 people (7.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $59,150
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 30 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $59,360
- Median hourly wage: $28.54
- Total employment: 280 people (4.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,760
- Median hourly wage: $28.73
- Total employment: 160 people (2.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $61,110
- Median hourly wage: $29.38
- Total employment: 30 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,810
- Median hourly wage: $30.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $64,230
- Median hourly wage: $30.88
- Total employment: 90 people (1.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $65,940
- Median hourly wage: $31.70
- Total employment: 400 people (7.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $66,170
- Median hourly wage: $31.81
- Total employment: 490 people (8.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $67,320
- Median hourly wage: $32.37
- Total employment: 140 people (2.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $70,250
- Median hourly wage: $33.77
- Total employment: 100 people (1.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $70,350
- Median hourly wage: $33.82
- Total employment: 50 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $70,360
- Median hourly wage: $33.83
- Total employment: 80 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $72,980
- Median hourly wage: $35.09
- Total employment: 60 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $74,330
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 70 people (1.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $74,940
- Median hourly wage: $36.03
- Total employment: 400 people (7.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Occupational therapy assistants
- Median annual wage: $75,100
- Median hourly wage: $36.10
- Total employment: 50 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $77,540
- Median hourly wage: $37.28
- Total employment: 40 people (0.73 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $79,380
- Median hourly wage: $38.16
- Total employment: 390 people (6.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $81,010
- Median hourly wage: $38.95
- Total employment: 80 people (1.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $81,400
- Median hourly wage: $39.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $84,640
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 40 people (0.67 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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