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

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 Spokane 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.

Halfpoint // Shutterstock

1 / 50

#50. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $71,700
- Median hourly wage: $34.47
- Total employment: 150 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gerain0812 // Shutterstock

2 / 50

#49. Surgical technologists

- Median annual wage: $71,850
- Median hourly wage: $34.55
- Total employment: 230 people (0.92 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Toa55 // Shutterstock

3 / 50

#48. Occupational therapy assistants

- Median annual wage: $72,500
- Median hourly wage: $34.86
- Total employment: 80 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Jat306 // Shutterstock

4 / 50

#47. Millwrights

- Median annual wage: $72,580
- Median hourly wage: $34.90
- Total employment: 100 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BearFotos // Shutterstock

5 / 50

#46. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other

- Median annual wage: $72,760
- Median hourly wage: $34.98
- Total employment: 90 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

fizkes // Shutterstock

6 / 50

#45. Public safety telecommunicators

- Median annual wage: $73,000
- Median hourly wage: $35.10
- Total employment: 380 people (1.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

NDAB Creativity // Shutterstock

7 / 50

#44. Massage therapists

- Median annual wage: $73,540
- Median hourly wage: $35.36
- Total employment: 310 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

8 / 50

#43. Real estate sales agents

- Median annual wage: $73,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.48
- Total employment: 280 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

9 / 50

#42. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

- Median annual wage: $74,150
- Median hourly wage: $35.65
- Total employment: 750 people (2.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock

10 / 50

#41. Stationary engineers and boiler operators

- Median annual wage: $74,250
- Median hourly wage: $35.70
- Total employment: 70 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

11 / 50

#40. Telecommunications line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $74,350
- Median hourly wage: $35.74
- Total employment: 40 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

muratart // Shutterstock

12 / 50

#39. Pipelayers

- Median annual wage: $74,470
- Median hourly wage: $35.80
- Total employment: 100 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

13 / 50

#38. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers

- Median annual wage: $75,100
- Median hourly wage: $36.11
- Total employment: 60 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

BGStock72 // Shutterstock

14 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $75,350
- Median hourly wage: $36.23
- Total employment: 70 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Bigflick // Shutterstock

15 / 50

#36. Correctional officers and jailers

- Median annual wage: $76,400
- Median hourly wage: $36.73
- Total employment: 590 people (2.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

16 / 50

#35. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses

- Median annual wage: $76,450
- Median hourly wage: $36.75
- Total employment: 630 people (2.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

g-stockstudio // Shutterstock

17 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $76,550
- Median hourly wage: $36.80
- Total employment: 410 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Lucky Business // Shutterstock

18 / 50

#32. Sales and related workers, all other (tie)

- Median annual wage: $77,230
- Median hourly wage: $37.13
- Total employment: 100 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Vladeep // Shutterstock

19 / 50

#32. Crane and tower operators (tie)

- Median annual wage: $77,230
- Median hourly wage: $37.13
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Avatar_023 // Shutterstock

20 / 50

#31. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

- Median annual wage: $77,750
- Median hourly wage: $37.38
- Total employment: 130 people (0.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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21 / 50

#30. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment

- Median annual wage: $79,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 70 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

John Leung // Shutterstock

22 / 50

#29. Brickmasons and blockmasons

- Median annual wage: $79,090
- Median hourly wage: $38.03
- Total employment: 50 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Etaphop photo // Shutterstock

23 / 50

#28. Electricians

- Median annual wage: $79,230
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: 1,150 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

lenetstan // Shutterstock

24 / 50

#27. Radiologic technologists and technicians

- Median annual wage: $80,290
- Median hourly wage: $38.60
- Total employment: 510 people (2.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

N_Sakarin // Shutterstock

25 / 50

#26. Structural iron and steel workers

- Median annual wage: $80,670
- Median hourly wage: $38.78
- Total employment: 110 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Lighthunter // Shutterstock

26 / 50

#25. Medical equipment repairers

- Median annual wage: $81,250
- Median hourly wage: $39.06
- Total employment: 80 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

4 PM production // Shutterstock

27 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $81,540
- Median hourly wage: $39.20
- Total employment: 1,100 people (4.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Kmpzzz // Shutterstock

28 / 50

#23. Construction and building inspectors

- Median annual wage: $81,770
- Median hourly wage: $39.31
- Total employment: 210 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Paolo Bona // Shutterstock

29 / 50

#22. Food service managers

- Median annual wage: $82,000
- Median hourly wage: $39.42
- Total employment: 180 people (0.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

30 / 50

#21. Computer network support specialists

- Median annual wage: $83,370
- Median hourly wage: $40.08
- Total employment: 150 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Victor Moussa // Shutterstock

31 / 50

#20. Firefighters

- Median annual wage: $84,290
- Median hourly wage: $40.53
- Total employment: 690 people (2.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

sculpies // Shutterstock

32 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $89,130
- Median hourly wage: $42.85
- Total employment: 1,240 people (4.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

33 / 50

#18. Lodging managers

- Median annual wage: $90,080
- Median hourly wage: $43.31
- Total employment: 70 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

pio3 // Shutterstock

34 / 50

#17. Police and sheriff's patrol officers

- Median annual wage: $92,280
- Median hourly wage: $44.36
- Total employment: 570 people (2.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock

35 / 50

#16. First-line supervisors of correctional officers

- Median annual wage: $93,320
- Median hourly wage: $44.87
- Total employment: 120 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

36 / 50

#15. Respiratory therapists

- Median annual wage: $94,530
- Median hourly wage: $45.45
- Total employment: 180 people (0.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Washburn HM // Shutterstock

37 / 50

#14. Transportation inspectors

- Median annual wage: $101,210
- Median hourly wage: $48.66
- Total employment: 40 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

38 / 50

#13. Diagnostic medical sonographers

- Median annual wage: $102,310
- Median hourly wage: $49.19
- Total employment: 240 people (0.94 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

39 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $103,200
- Median hourly wage: $49.62
- Total employment: 340 people (1.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Peakstock // Shutterstock

40 / 50

#11. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

- Median annual wage: $104,060
- Median hourly wage: $50.03
- Total employment: 120 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock

41 / 50

#10. Dental hygienists

- Median annual wage: $104,880
- Median hourly wage: $50.43
- Total employment: 380 people (1.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Prath // Shutterstock

42 / 50

#9. Detectives and criminal investigators

- Median annual wage: $107,580
- Median hourly wage: $51.72
- Total employment: 260 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

goodluz // Shutterstock

43 / 50

#8. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

- Median annual wage: $107,760
- Median hourly wage: $51.81
- Total employment: 170 people (0.66 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

michaeljung // Shutterstock

44 / 50

#7. Power plant operators

- Median annual wage: $108,460
- Median hourly wage: $52.15
- Total employment: 60 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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45 / 50

#6. Commercial pilots

- Median annual wage: $111,500
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 50 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

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46 / 50

#5. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door

- Median annual wage: $123,700
- Median hourly wage: $59.47
- Total employment: 60 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock

47 / 50

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $124,440
- Median hourly wage: $59.83
- Total employment: 220 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock

48 / 50

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

- Median annual wage: $124,860
- Median hourly wage: $60.03
- Total employment: 170 people (0.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

49 / 50

#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives

- Median annual wage: $127,290
- Median hourly wage: $61.20
- Total employment: 220 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)

Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock

50 / 50

#1. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

- Median annual wage: $129,190
- Median hourly wage: $62.11
- Total employment: 60 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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