Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Provo

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 Provo 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.

Irene Miller // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

- Median annual wage: $59,360
- Median hourly wage: $28.54
- Total employment: 970 people (3.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

manine99 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Maintenance workers, machinery

- Median annual wage: $59,540
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 160 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

rlat // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#47. Postal service clerks (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Indypendenz // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,550
- Median hourly wage: $28.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#44. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 70 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#44. Transportation security screeners (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 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 (tie)

- Median annual wage: $59,950
- Median hourly wage: $28.82
- Total employment: 4,900 people (16.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $60,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 150 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Property, real estate, and community association managers

- Median annual wage: $60,310
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 370 people (1.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Crane and tower operators

- Median annual wage: $60,330
- Median hourly wage: $29.00
- Total employment: 50 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $60,650
- Median hourly wage: $29.16
- Total employment: 320 people (1.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $60,770
- Median hourly wage: $29.22
- Total employment: 40 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Physical therapist assistants

- Median annual wage: $60,800
- Median hourly wage: $29.23
- Total employment: 150 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Stock Rocket // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products

- Median annual wage: $61,060
- Median hourly wage: $29.36
- Total employment: 1,960 people (6.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $61,600
- Median hourly wage: $29.62
- Total employment: 110 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Machinists

- Median annual wage: $61,820
- Median hourly wage: $29.72
- Total employment: 360 people (1.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $61,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 160 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

- Median annual wage: $61,960
- Median hourly wage: $29.79
- Total employment: 250 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers

- Median annual wage: $62,210
- Median hourly wage: $29.91
- Total employment: 3,380 people (11.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

- Median annual wage: $62,480
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 1,550 people (5.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Anze Furlan // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

- Median annual wage: $62,490
- Median hourly wage: $30.04
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kot500 // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

- Median annual wage: $62,710
- Median hourly wage: $30.15
- Total employment: 190 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

welcomia // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines

- Median annual wage: $63,210
- Median hourly wage: $30.39
- Total employment: 280 people (0.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SritanaN // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Industrial machinery mechanics

- Median annual wage: $63,250
- Median hourly wage: $30.41
- Total employment: 390 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Chay_Tee // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Tax preparers

- Median annual wage: $63,290
- Median hourly wage: $30.43
- Total employment: 230 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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fizkes // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Legal support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $63,340
- Median hourly wage: $30.45
- Total employment: 30 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gearstd // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. Mechanical drafters

- Median annual wage: $64,240
- Median hourly wage: $30.88
- Total employment: 90 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Advertising sales agents

- Median annual wage: $64,540
- Median hourly wage: $31.03
- Total employment: 190 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lighthunter // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Medical equipment repairers

- Median annual wage: $64,600
- Median hourly wage: $31.06
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $64,770
- Median hourly wage: $31.14
- Total employment: 250 people (0.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $65,390
- Median hourly wage: $31.44
- Total employment: 220 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

anyaivanova // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $65,730
- Median hourly wage: $31.60
- Total employment: 140 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $66,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.80
- Total employment: 210 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

- Median annual wage: $73,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.45
- Total employment: 2,240 people (7.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

- Median annual wage: $73,900
- Median hourly wage: $35.53
- Total employment: 940 people (3.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

- Median annual wage: $75,320
- Median hourly wage: $36.21
- Total employment: 450 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $75,830
- Median hourly wage: $36.46
- Total employment: 690 people (2.3 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: $77,300
- Median hourly wage: $37.16
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $78,990
- Median hourly wage: $37.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $79,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: 130 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $82,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.50
- Total employment: 190 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $83,790
- Median hourly wage: $40.29
- Total employment: 50 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $84,640
- Median hourly wage: $40.69
- Total employment: 150 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Skycolors // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $84,880
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 100 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $85,980
- Median hourly wage: $41.34
- Total employment: 940 people (3.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $94,990
- Median hourly wage: $45.67
- Total employment: 310 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $98,690
- Median hourly wage: $47.45
- Total employment: 80 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $102,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 200 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $107,480
- Median hourly wage: $51.68
- Total employment: 40 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Neale Cousland // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Athletes and sports competitors

- Median annual wage: $166,250
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 40 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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