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1 / 50#50. Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators
- Median annual wage: $38,840
- Median hourly wage: $18.67
- Total employment: 560 people (15.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Parkersburg
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 Parkersburg 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. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Median annual wage: $39,000
- Median hourly wage: $18.75
- Total employment: 70 people (1.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Insurance claims and policy processing clerks
- Median annual wage: $39,040
- Median hourly wage: $18.77
- Total employment: 50 people (1.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Fusionstudio // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks
- Median annual wage: $39,470
- Median hourly wage: $18.98
- Total employment: 100 people (2.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Randy Hergenrether // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Construction laborers
- Median annual wage: $40,550
- Median hourly wage: $19.50
- Total employment: 400 people (10.89 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Legal secretaries and administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $42,020
- Median hourly wage: $20.20
- Total employment: 80 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Median annual wage: $42,090
- Median hourly wage: $20.23
- Total employment: 410 people (11.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
New Africa // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers
- Median annual wage: $42,590
- Median hourly wage: $20.48
- Total employment: 50 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
flywish // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Median annual wage: $43,970
- Median hourly wage: $21.14
- Total employment: 30 people (0.86 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $46,230
- Median hourly wage: $22.23
- Total employment: 100 people (2.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $46,470
- Median hourly wage: $22.34
- Total employment: 330 people (8.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Joey Chung // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Median annual wage: $47,400
- Median hourly wage: $22.79
- Total employment: 90 people (2.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Automotive body and related repairers
- Median annual wage: $47,480
- Median hourly wage: $22.83
- Total employment: 50 people (1.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $47,740
- Median hourly wage: $22.95
- Total employment: 100 people (2.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Noin90650 // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
- Median annual wage: $48,430
- Median hourly wage: $23.28
- Total employment: 50 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Carpenters
- Median annual wage: $48,460
- Median hourly wage: $23.30
- Total employment: 140 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kot500 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
- Median annual wage: $48,530
- Median hourly wage: $23.33
- Total employment: 60 people (1.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $48,600
- Median hourly wage: $23.36
- Total employment: 50 people (1.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $48,960
- Median hourly wage: $23.54
- Total employment: 170 people (4.51 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping
- Median annual wage: $49,000
- Median hourly wage: $23.56
- Total employment: 70 people (1.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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21 / 50#30. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Median annual wage: $49,220
- Median hourly wage: $23.66
- Total employment: 540 people (14.55 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Paolo Bona // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Food service managers
- Median annual wage: $49,250
- Median hourly wage: $23.68
- Total employment: 80 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Leszek Glasner // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Median annual wage: $49,440
- Median hourly wage: $23.77
- Total employment: 50 people (1.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Median annual wage: $49,500
- Median hourly wage: $23.80
- Total employment: 40 people (1.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Avatar_023 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Median annual wage: $49,550
- Median hourly wage: $23.82
- Total employment: 60 people (1.62 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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26 / 50#25. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Median annual wage: $50,410
- Median hourly wage: $24.23
- Total employment: 310 people (8.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $51,130
- Median hourly wage: $24.58
- Total employment: 350 people (9.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $51,470
- Median hourly wage: $24.74
- Total employment: 70 people (1.84 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erin Deleon // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Postal service mail carriers
- Median annual wage: $53,290
- Median hourly wage: $25.62
- Total employment: 130 people (3.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $54,930
- Median hourly wage: $26.41
- Total employment: 170 people (4.58 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Insurance sales agents
- Median annual wage: $55,550
- Median hourly wage: $26.71
- Total employment: 80 people (2.06 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Shift Drive // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $57,260
- Median hourly wage: $27.53
- Total employment: 40 people (1.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $58,970
- Median hourly wage: $28.35
- Total employment: 50 people (1.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $60,240
- Median hourly wage: $28.96
- Total employment: 110 people (3.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Physical therapist assistants
- Median annual wage: $60,620
- Median hourly wage: $29.14
- Total employment: 60 people (1.5 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $60,670
- Median hourly wage: $29.17
- Total employment: 120 people (3.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,440
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 80 people (2.02 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $62,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.90
- Total employment: 160 people (4.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $62,700
- Median hourly wage: $30.14
- Total employment: 210 people (5.7 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $64,080
- Median hourly wage: $30.81
- Total employment: 170 people (4.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $64,560
- Median hourly wage: $31.04
- Total employment: 390 people (10.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $66,700
- Median hourly wage: $32.07
- Total employment: 40 people (1.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $67,090
- Median hourly wage: $32.25
- Total employment: 70 people (1.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $68,770
- Median hourly wage: $33.06
- Total employment: 30 people (0.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Vera Larina // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $72,610
- Median hourly wage: $34.91
- Total employment: 50 people (1.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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sculpies // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $73,590
- Median hourly wage: $35.38
- Total employment: 200 people (5.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Paralegals and legal assistants
- Median annual wage: $74,960
- Median hourly wage: $36.04
- Total employment: 180 people (4.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $78,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.82
- Total employment: 70 people (1.78 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $83,740
- Median hourly wage: $40.26
- Total employment: 40 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $91,430
- Median hourly wage: $43.96
- Total employment: 230 people (6.21 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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