Vladeep // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $69,000
- Median hourly wage: $33.17
- Total employment: 60 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs for people with 2-year degrees in Madison
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 Madison 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. Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles
- Median annual wage: $69,460
- Median hourly wage: $33.39
- Total employment: 80 people (0.19 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Lee Charlie // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Court, municipal, and license clerks
- Median annual wage: $70,140
- Median hourly wage: $33.72
- Total employment: 170 people (0.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $72,130
- Median hourly wage: $34.68
- Total employment: 110 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $72,450
- Median hourly wage: $34.83
- Total employment: 3,740 people (9.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $72,630
- Median hourly wage: $34.92
- Total employment: 190 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,030
- Median hourly wage: $36.07
- Total employment: 90 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,080
- Median hourly wage: $36.09
- Total employment: 190 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Daniel M Ernst // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Eligibility interviewers, government programs
- Median annual wage: $75,540
- Median hourly wage: $36.32
- Total employment: 220 people (0.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Irene Miller // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $75,610
- Median hourly wage: $36.35
- Total employment: 760 people (1.87 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $75,820
- Median hourly wage: $36.45
- Total employment: 2,110 people (5.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
lenetstan // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Radiologic technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,420
- Median hourly wage: $36.74
- Total employment: 640 people (1.57 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Bigflick // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Correctional officers and jailers
- Median annual wage: $76,560
- Median hourly wage: $36.81
- Total employment: 680 people (1.67 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,720
- Median hourly wage: $36.88
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BearFotos // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
- Median annual wage: $77,380
- Median hourly wage: $37.20
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#34. Property, real estate, and community association managers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,560
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 320 people (0.79 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Electricians (tie)
- Median annual wage: $77,560
- Median hourly wage: $37.29
- Total employment: 1,650 people (4.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Yuriy Golub // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Glaziers
- Median annual wage: $79,080
- Median hourly wage: $38.02
- Total employment: 100 people (0.25 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kmpzzz // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Construction and building inspectors
- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 150 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedomz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,270
- Median hourly wage: $38.11
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $79,400
- Median hourly wage: $38.17
- Total employment: 1,530 people (3.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
John Leung // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Median annual wage: $80,310
- Median hourly wage: $38.61
- Total employment: 120 people (0.29 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Respiratory therapists
- Median annual wage: $81,690
- Median hourly wage: $39.27
- Total employment: 340 people (0.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
4 PM production // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $82,080
- Median hourly wage: $39.46
- Total employment: 1,310 people (3.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
pio3 // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Police and sheriff's patrol officers
- Median annual wage: $83,120
- Median hourly wage: $39.96
- Total employment: 1,560 people (3.85 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vera Larina // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Sheet metal workers
- Median annual wage: $83,150
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 430 people (1.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
M2020 // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $83,160
- Median hourly wage: $39.98
- Total employment: 110 people (0.27 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $83,470
- Median hourly wage: $40.13
- Total employment: 1,790 people (4.42 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
muratart // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Pipelayers
- Median annual wage: $84,650
- Median hourly wage: $40.70
- Total employment: 40 people (0.11 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $85,710
- Median hourly wage: $41.21
- Total employment: 540 people (1.33 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Peakstock // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists
- Median annual wage: $87,620
- Median hourly wage: $42.13
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nagy-Bagoly Arpad // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Insulation workers, mechanical
- Median annual wage: $88,200
- Median hourly wage: $42.41
- Total employment: 30 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N_Sakarin // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Structural iron and steel workers
- Median annual wage: $88,960
- Median hourly wage: $42.77
- Total employment: 80 people (0.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Jat306 // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Millwrights
- Median annual wage: $90,520
- Median hourly wage: $43.52
- Total employment: 40 people (0.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Radiation therapists
- Median annual wage: $90,760
- Median hourly wage: $43.64
- Total employment: 70 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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My Ocean Production // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Nuclear medicine technologists
- Median annual wage: $91,140
- Median hourly wage: $43.82
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Unai Huizi Photography // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Dental hygienists
- Median annual wage: $92,270
- Median hourly wage: $44.36
- Total employment: 630 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Indypendenz // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $92,410
- Median hourly wage: $44.43
- Total employment: 70 people (0.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Skycolors // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Commercial pilots
- Median annual wage: $97,660
- Median hourly wage: Not available
- Total employment: 120 people (0.29 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: $98,050
- Median hourly wage: $47.14
- Total employment: 80 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $98,370
- Median hourly wage: $47.29
- Total employment: 390 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $99,450
- Median hourly wage: $47.81
- Total employment: 1,380 people (3.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rebekah Zemansky // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. First-line supervisors of correctional officers
- Median annual wage: $100,820
- Median hourly wage: $48.47
- Total employment: 60 people (0.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Funeral home managers
- Median annual wage: $101,120
- Median hourly wage: $48.62
- Total employment: 40 people (0.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $101,690
- Median hourly wage: $48.89
- Total employment: 260 people (0.63 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $102,380
- Median hourly wage: $49.22
- Total employment: 900 people (2.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $104,010
- Median hourly wage: $50.01
- Total employment: 440 people (1.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Median annual wage: $105,370
- Median hourly wage: $50.66
- Total employment: 70 people (0.18 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SofikoS // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Diagnostic medical sonographers
- Median annual wage: $107,430
- Median hourly wage: $51.65
- Total employment: 180 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $115,590
- Median hourly wage: $55.57
- Total employment: 200 people (0.49 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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