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1 / 50#50. Public safety telecommunicators
- Median annual wage: $61,680
- Median hourly wage: $29.66
- Total employment: 90 people (0.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Yakima
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 Yakima 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. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 120 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gerain0812 // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Surgical technologists
- Median annual wage: $62,410
- Median hourly wage: $30.00
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Loveischiangrai // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Median annual wage: $62,440
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 30 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,590
- Median hourly wage: $30.09
- Total employment: 60 people (0.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $62,680
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 160 people (1.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $62,800
- Median hourly wage: $30.19
- Total employment: 220 people (2.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $63,110
- Median hourly wage: $30.34
- Total employment: 100 people (1.0 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $63,190
- Median hourly wage: $30.38
- Total employment: 40 people (0.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Median annual wage: $63,300
- Median hourly wage: $30.43
- Total employment: 60 people (0.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $63,990
- Median hourly wage: $30.77
- Total employment: 280 people (2.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $64,670
- Median hourly wage: $31.09
- Total employment: 100 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $64,900
- Median hourly wage: $31.20
- Total employment: 160 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
FabrikaSimf // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $65,180
- Median hourly wage: $31.34
- Total employment: 420 people (4.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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15 / 50#36. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $65,200
- Median hourly wage: $31.35
- Total employment: 240 people (2.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $66,810
- Median hourly wage: $32.12
- Total employment: 50 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $67,500
- Median hourly wage: $32.45
- Total employment: 880 people (8.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $69,060
- Median hourly wage: $33.20
- Total employment: 70 people (0.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $69,120
- Median hourly wage: $33.23
- Total employment: 80 people (0.81 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SatawatK // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $69,470
- Median hourly wage: $33.40
- Total employment: 50 people (0.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $70,090
- Median hourly wage: $33.70
- Total employment: 640 people (6.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bannafarsai_Stock // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Cement masons and concrete finishers
- Median annual wage: $71,710
- Median hourly wage: $34.48
- Total employment: 110 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $72,130
- Median hourly wage: $34.68
- Total employment: 150 people (1.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $73,990
- Median hourly wage: $35.57
- Total employment: 100 people (1.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $74,240
- Median hourly wage: $35.69
- Total employment: 80 people (0.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $74,370
- Median hourly wage: $35.76
- Total employment: 190 people (1.96 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $75,710
- Median hourly wage: $36.40
- Total employment: 80 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $75,890
- Median hourly wage: $36.49
- Total employment: 860 people (8.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Median annual wage: $77,520
- Median hourly wage: $37.27
- Total employment: 40 people (0.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $78,020
- Median hourly wage: $37.51
- Total employment: 210 people (2.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $78,270
- Median hourly wage: $37.63
- Total employment: 60 people (0.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $78,610
- Median hourly wage: $37.80
- Total employment: 30 people (0.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $79,510
- Median hourly wage: $38.23
- Total employment: 120 people (1.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,990
- Median hourly wage: $38.46
- Total employment: 50 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $80,870
- Median hourly wage: $38.88
- Total employment: 440 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Massage therapists
- Median annual wage: $80,930
- Median hourly wage: $38.91
- Total employment: 80 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $81,000
- Median hourly wage: $38.94
- Total employment: 60 people (0.6 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $81,430
- Median hourly wage: $39.15
- Total employment: 420 people (4.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $84,240
- Median hourly wage: $40.50
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $84,400
- Median hourly wage: $40.58
- Total employment: 40 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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41 / 50#10. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
- Median annual wage: $84,550
- Median hourly wage: $40.65
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $85,840
- Median hourly wage: $41.27
- Total employment: 120 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $85,850
- Median hourly wage: $41.27
- Total employment: 350 people (3.52 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $91,690
- Median hourly wage: $44.08
- Total employment: 300 people (3.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $99,240
- Median hourly wage: $47.71
- Total employment: 30 people (0.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $104,230
- Median hourly wage: $50.11
- Total employment: 40 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $107,870
- Median hourly wage: $51.86
- Total employment: 180 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $108,870
- Median hourly wage: $52.34
- Total employment: 60 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $119,330
- Median hourly wage: $57.37
- Total employment: 100 people (1.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $122,160
- Median hourly wage: $58.73
- Total employment: 50 people (0.5 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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