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1 / 50#50. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $100,330
- Median hourly wage: $48.24
- Total employment: 1,630 people (0.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Seattle
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 Seattle 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. Postmasters and mail superintendents
- Median annual wage: $100,460
- Median hourly wage: $48.30
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $101,120
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 420 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $101,600
- Median hourly wage: $48.85
- Total employment: 9,160 people (4.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Victor Moussa // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Firefighters
- Median annual wage: $102,220
- Median hourly wage: $49.14
- Total employment: 4,150 people (1.99 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $102,680
- Median hourly wage: $49.36
- Total employment: 2,340 people (1.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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7 / 50#44. Tool and die makers
- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.61
- Total employment: 840 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $103,400
- Median hourly wage: $49.71
- Total employment: 360 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Median annual wage: $103,540
- Median hourly wage: $49.78
- Total employment: 290 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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10 / 50#41. Flight attendants
- Median annual wage: $103,950
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: Not available
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11 / 50#40. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $104,120
- Median hourly wage: $50.06
- Total employment: 1,600 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $105,000
- Median hourly wage: $50.48
- Total employment: 1,260 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $105,650
- Median hourly wage: $50.79
- Total employment: 11,970 people (5.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vladeep // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $106,010
- Median hourly wage: $50.97
- Total employment: 470 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Magsi // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment
- Median annual wage: $106,050
- Median hourly wage: $50.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $106,120
- Median hourly wage: $51.02
- Total employment: 220 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
APChanel // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Signal and track switch repairers
- Median annual wage: $106,220
- Median hourly wage: $51.07
- Total employment: 120 people (0.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ITisha // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Court reporters and simultaneous captioners
- Median annual wage: $106,950
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 40 people (0.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $106,960
- Median hourly wage: $51.42
- Total employment: 850 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $107,680
- Median hourly wage: $51.77
- Total employment: 480 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $108,050
- Median hourly wage: $51.95
- Total employment: 690 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrei Agape // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Avionics technicians
- Median annual wage: $109,030
- Median hourly wage: $52.42
- Total employment: 4,870 people (2.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
industryviews // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $110,120
- Median hourly wage: $52.94
- Total employment: 450 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $114,200
- Median hourly wage: $54.90
- Total employment: 4,070 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Glen Jones // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Median annual wage: $114,720
- Median hourly wage: $55.16
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $116,210
- Median hourly wage: $55.87
- Total employment: 1,090 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Onk-Q // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Reinforcing iron and rebar workers
- Median annual wage: $117,110
- Median hourly wage: $56.30
- Total employment: 160 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $118,980
- Median hourly wage: $57.20
- Total employment: 2,110 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Sound engineering technicians
- Median annual wage: $119,600
- Median hourly wage: $57.50
- Total employment: 290 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Washburn HM // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Transportation inspectors
- Median annual wage: $119,640
- Median hourly wage: $57.52
- Total employment: 240 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleksandr Nagaiets // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Lighting technicians
- Median annual wage: $120,610
- Median hourly wage: $57.99
- Total employment: 60 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $122,450
- Median hourly wage: $58.87
- Total employment: 680 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
funnyangel // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Fire inspectors and investigators
- Median annual wage: $123,080
- Median hourly wage: $59.17
- Total employment: 190 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Peakstock // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $125,390
- Median hourly wage: $60.29
- Total employment: 440 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $128,540
- Median hourly wage: $61.80
- Total employment: 190 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $128,800
- Median hourly wage: $61.92
- Total employment: 1,850 people (0.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $129,020
- Median hourly wage: $62.03
- Total employment: 670 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $130,730
- Median hourly wage: $62.85
- Total employment: 1,040 people (0.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Suwin // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay
- Median annual wage: $131,680
- Median hourly wage: $63.31
- Total employment: 260 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $131,890
- Median hourly wage: $63.41
- Total employment: 2,700 people (1.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Aniwat phromrungsee // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Commercial divers
- Median annual wage: $131,960
- Median hourly wage: $63.44
- Total employment: Not available
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $132,230
- Median hourly wage: $63.57
- Total employment: 250 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $133,030
- Median hourly wage: $63.96
- Total employment: 50 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $133,180
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 660 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $133,460
- Median hourly wage: $64.16
- Total employment: 140 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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46 / 50#5. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $137,040
- Median hourly wage: $65.89
- Total employment: 770 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $138,900
- Median hourly wage: $66.78
- Total employment: 2,150 people (1.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $151,560
- Median hourly wage: $72.86
- Total employment: 1,210 people (0.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lovely Bird // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Power distributors and dispatchers
- Median annual wage: $159,820
- Median hourly wage: $76.84
- Total employment: 80 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Burben // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Air traffic controllers
- Median annual wage: $169,350
- Median hourly wage: $81.42
- Total employment: 500 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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