Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,770
- Median hourly wage: $33.54
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Salt Lake City
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 Salt Lake City 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. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $69,790
- Median hourly wage: $33.55
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
manine99 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Maintenance workers, machinery
- Median annual wage: $70,050
- Median hourly wage: $33.68
- Total employment: 820 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $70,130
- Median hourly wage: $33.72
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $71,080
- Median hourly wage: $34.17
- Total employment: 3,710 people (4.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $71,360
- Median hourly wage: $34.31
- Total employment: 630 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $71,510
- Median hourly wage: $34.38
- Total employment: 1,760 people (2.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $71,600
- Median hourly wage: $34.43
- Total employment: 490 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $72,150
- Median hourly wage: $34.69
- Total employment: 260 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Health information technologists and medical registrars
- Median annual wage: $72,610
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: Not available
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Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $73,730
- Median hourly wage: $35.45
- Total employment: 550 people (0.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $73,850
- Median hourly wage: $35.51
- Total employment: 920 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Advertising sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,460
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 470 people (0.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $74,480
- Median hourly wage: $35.81
- Total employment: 90 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DenisKlimov // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $74,910
- Median hourly wage: $36.02
- Total employment: 40 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $75,980
- Median hourly wage: $36.53
- Total employment: 200 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $76,460
- Median hourly wage: $36.76
- Total employment: 90 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Guiderom // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers
- Median annual wage: $76,860
- Median hourly wage: $36.95
- Total employment: 50 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Elizaveta Galitckaia // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers
- Median annual wage: $77,390
- Median hourly wage: $37.21
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
NancyS // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists
- Median annual wage: $77,480
- Median hourly wage: $37.25
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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funnyangel // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,710
- Median hourly wage: $37.36
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $77,780
- Median hourly wage: $37.40
- Total employment: 2,860 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $78,040
- Median hourly wage: $37.52
- Total employment: 560 people (0.69 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $78,220
- Median hourly wage: $37.60
- Total employment: 5,880 people (7.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $78,360
- Median hourly wage: $37.67
- Total employment: 280 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Freedomz // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,220
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: 170 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
27 / 50#23. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $79,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 70 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Transportation inspectors (tie)
- Median annual wage: $79,410
- Median hourly wage: $38.18
- Total employment: 140 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $80,760
- Median hourly wage: $38.83
- Total employment: 360 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $81,130
- Median hourly wage: $39.01
- Total employment: 2,550 people (3.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Real estate brokers
- Median annual wage: $81,230
- Median hourly wage: $39.05
- Total employment: 210 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $82,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.63
- Total employment: 670 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.19
- Total employment: 1,540 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $84,750
- Median hourly wage: $40.75
- Total employment: 1,230 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $86,900
- Median hourly wage: $41.78
- Total employment: 150 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SofikoS // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $91,690
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 300 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $93,340
- Median hourly wage: $44.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $95,350
- Median hourly wage: $45.84
- Total employment: 280 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $96,150
- Median hourly wage: $46.23
- Total employment: 330 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $98,810
- Median hourly wage: $47.51
- Total employment: 110 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $99,840
- Median hourly wage: $48.00
- Total employment: 1,570 people (1.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $103,690
- Median hourly wage: $49.85
- Total employment: 100 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $103,750
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 370 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $103,760
- Median hourly wage: $49.89
- Total employment: 40 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $104,150
- Median hourly wage: $50.07
- Total employment: 170 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $106,840
- Median hourly wage: $51.37
- Total employment: 350 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $112,680
- Median hourly wage: $54.17
- Total employment: 50 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: $113,620
- Median hourly wage: $54.63
- Total employment: 500 people (0.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $158,620
- Median hourly wage: $76.26
- Total employment: 320 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Neale Cousland // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Athletes and sports competitors
- Median annual wage: $197,140
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 200 people (0.24 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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