Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Washington, D.C.

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 Washington, D.C. 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.

Aleksander Krsmanovic // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Health information technologists and medical registrars

- Median annual wage: $83,580
- Median hourly wage: $40.19
- Total employment: 620 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $86,330
- Median hourly wage: $41.51
- Total employment: 3,360 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

JL IMAGES // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Transit and railroad police

- Median annual wage: $86,650
- Median hourly wage: $41.66
- Total employment: 260 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $86,730
- Median hourly wage: $41.70
- Total employment: 6,070 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Nicola Forenza // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants

- Median annual wage: $88,600
- Median hourly wage: $42.60
- Total employment: 2,800 people (0.9 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $89,060
- Median hourly wage: $42.82
- Total employment: 770 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $89,190
- Median hourly wage: $42.88
- Total employment: 830 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

8 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $89,250
- Median hourly wage: $42.91
- Total employment: 9,210 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

DenisKlimov // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Aircraft cargo handling supervisors

- Median annual wage: $89,480
- Median hourly wage: $43.02
- Total employment: 110 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $89,640
- Median hourly wage: $43.10
- Total employment: 1,560 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kokulina // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Makeup artists, theatrical and performance

- Median annual wage: $91,290
- Median hourly wage: $43.89
- Total employment: 90 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

anyaivanova // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $91,350
- Median hourly wage: $43.92
- Total employment: 1,870 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

santi lumubol // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

- Median annual wage: $92,210
- Median hourly wage: $44.33
- Total employment: 1,700 people (0.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

14 / 50

#37. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $92,530
- Median hourly wage: $44.48
- Total employment: 310 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Postmasters and mail superintendents

- Median annual wage: $92,790
- Median hourly wage: $44.61
- Total employment: 130 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

16 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $93,030
- Median hourly wage: $44.73
- Total employment: 6,510 people (2.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

17 / 50

#34. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $93,920
- Median hourly wage: $45.15
- Total employment: 3,160 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#33. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $94,800
- Median hourly wage: $45.58
- Total employment: 1,170 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $95,420
- Median hourly wage: $45.88
- Total employment: 390 people (0.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Insurance appraisers, auto damage

- Median annual wage: $95,480
- Median hourly wage: $45.90
- Total employment: 40 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Magsi // Shutterstock

21 / 50

#30. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment

- Median annual wage: $96,460
- Median hourly wage: $46.38
- Total employment: 430 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $96,620
- Median hourly wage: $46.45
- Total employment: 1,510 people (0.48 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

industryviews // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $97,580
- Median hourly wage: $46.91
- Total employment: 200 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers

- Median annual wage: $97,680
- Median hourly wage: $46.96
- Total employment: 50 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrei Agape // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Avionics technicians

- Median annual wage: $97,740
- Median hourly wage: $46.99
- Total employment: Not available

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Josep Suria // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $97,850
- Median hourly wage: $47.05
- Total employment: 1,310 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

27 / 50

#24. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $98,500
- Median hourly wage: $47.36
- Total employment: 550 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

28 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $100,140
- Median hourly wage: $48.14
- Total employment: 4,860 people (1.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lovely Bird // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Power distributors and dispatchers

- Median annual wage: $100,710
- Median hourly wage: $48.42
- Total employment: 60 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Suwin // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay

- Median annual wage: $101,760
- Median hourly wage: $48.93
- Total employment: 200 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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My Ocean Production // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Nuclear medicine technologists

- Median annual wage: $102,850
- Median hourly wage: $49.45
- Total employment: 250 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

32 / 50

#19. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $103,060
- Median hourly wage: $49.55
- Total employment: 1,620 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Radiation therapists

- Median annual wage: $103,120
- Median hourly wage: $49.58
- Total employment: 430 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Fortish // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters

- Median annual wage: $104,210
- Median hourly wage: $50.10
- Total employment: 600 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

ART STOCK CREATIVE // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. Food science technicians

- Median annual wage: $104,600
- Median hourly wage: $50.29
- Total employment: 190 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Syda Productions // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Funeral home managers

- Median annual wage: $104,740
- Median hourly wage: $50.36
- Total employment: 110 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $107,460
- Median hourly wage: $51.67
- Total employment: 880 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other

- Median annual wage: $107,580
- Median hourly wage: $51.72
- Total employment: 1,460 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

39 / 50

#12. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $109,020
- Median hourly wage: $52.41
- Total employment: 2,510 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers

- Median annual wage: $114,620
- Median hourly wage: $55.11
- Total employment: 2,340 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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socrates471 // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Media and communication equipment workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $119,020
- Median hourly wage: $57.22
- Total employment: 740 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $119,200
- Median hourly wage: $57.31
- Total employment: 630 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

curraheeshutter // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Ship engineers

- Median annual wage: $121,970
- Median hourly wage: $58.64
- Total employment: 40 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kojala // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Artists and related workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $122,320
- Median hourly wage: $58.81
- Total employment: 1,540 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

45 / 50

#6. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $124,770
- Median hourly wage: $59.99
- Total employment: 4,960 people (1.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Skycolors // Shutterstock

46 / 50

#5. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $125,690
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 440 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $132,510
- Median hourly wage: $63.71
- Total employment: 2,420 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

48 / 50

#3. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $153,340
- Median hourly wage: $73.72
- Total employment: 4,760 people (1.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. Legal support workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $161,780
- Median hourly wage: $77.78
- Total employment: 6,650 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Burben // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Air traffic controllers

- Median annual wage: $176,110
- Median hourly wage: $84.67
- Total employment: 1,690 people (0.54 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.