Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Chattanooga

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July 15, 2022
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Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Chattanooga

Although it all depends on what you make of it, choosing to further your education may lead to higher paying job opportunities. An associate's degree takes just two years and offers more affordable tuition rates than a four-year school. As of April 2022, the average yearly salary for an individual with an associate's degree comes out to $45,989.

Students have a plethora of specialties to choose from when obtaining a 2-year degree, from industry-specific roles in health care or IT or a more generalized education path. Salaries differ between areas of study, job type, experience, and, of course, location. A Georgetown University study that looked at job growth and education requirements through 2020 stated that 30% of job openings required "at least some college or an associate's degree." Students can choose to head right into the workforce after earning an associate's, or continue their education toward earning a bachelor's degree.

The unemployment rate for associate's degree holders is only 2%, according to research from the Education Data Initiative. Having an associate's degree under your belt is proven to increase one's chance of holding a professional or management position in any number of industries, among them education and health, wholesale retail and trade, and professional and business services.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying jobs that require a 2-year degree in Chattanooga, TN-GA using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

#27. Preschool teachers, except special education

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $33,260
- #261 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 410

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,550
- Employment: 370,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
--- Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
--- Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)

#26. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $34,140
- #281 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

National
- Annual mean salary: $37,860
- Employment: 109,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,990)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,220)
--- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($51,340)

#25. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $38,040
- #332 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130

National
- Annual mean salary: $44,170
- Employment: 108,470
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($55,410)
--- Napa, CA ($54,120)

#24. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $41,260
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,570
- Employment: 17,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($82,240)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($81,340)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($74,280)

#23. Paralegals and legal assistants

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $45,520
- #324 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 470

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,610
- Employment: 332,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($90,640)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($76,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,640)

#22. Chemical technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $47,120
- #198 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

National
- Annual mean salary: $53,700
- Employment: 63,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Billings, MT ($86,340)
--- Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($79,390)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($78,000)

#21. Broadcast technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $47,190
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $49,250
- Employment: 25,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($75,430)
--- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY ($70,990)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($69,950)

#20. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $47,970
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,000
- Employment: 24,560
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area ($82,420)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($79,240)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($73,940)

#19. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $48,310
- #241 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

National
- Annual mean salary: $56,590
- Employment: 67,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,190)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($83,250)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($81,340)

#18. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $49,580
- #75 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,960
- Employment: 31,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($79,780)
--- Huntsville, AL ($78,320)
--- Birmingham-Hoover, AL ($76,970)

#17. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $52,340
- #420 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380

National
- Annual mean salary: $64,840
- Employment: 206,720
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($127,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($118,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($118,100)

#16. Medical equipment repairers

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $52,890
- #107 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,090
- Employment: 48,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($84,820)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($84,030)
--- Reno, NV ($83,450)

#15. Architectural and civil drafters

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $55,740
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,120
- Employment: 99,180
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($76,060)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,700)
--- Anchorage, AK ($75,650)

#14. Mechanical drafters

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $56,300
- #144 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,490
- Employment: 51,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,540)
--- Corpus Christi, TX ($90,720)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($82,590)

#13. Respiratory therapists

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $57,850
- #271 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,640
- Employment: 131,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($113,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,330)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($101,690)

#12. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $58,150
- #261 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 250

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,310
- Employment: 115,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area ($99,890)
--- Fort Collins, CO ($91,980)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($90,780)

#11. Computer network support specialists

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $58,520
- #317 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

National
- Annual mean salary: $71,040
- Employment: 184,220
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($94,120)
--- Barnstable Town, MA ($93,670)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($92,190)

#10. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $58,920
- #112 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,920
- Employment: 62,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS ($94,360)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($90,460)
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($86,020)

#9. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $59,290
- #184 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70

National
- Annual mean salary: $75,960
- Employment: 39,270
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($133,590)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($127,930)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($120,550)

#8. Electrical and electronics drafters

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $59,340
- #77 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,720
- Employment: 23,020
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($98,380)
--- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX ($86,920)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($83,760)

#7. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $61,640
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,880
- Employment: 39,880
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Baton Rouge, LA ($112,580)
--- North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area ($91,580)
--- New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($91,550)

#6. Physical therapist assistants

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $62,180
- #118 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 280

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,440
- Employment: 92,740
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($85,960)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($76,390)

#5. Occupational therapy assistants

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $63,450
- #94 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,420
- Employment: 42,750
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,570)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($77,720)
--- San Diego-Carlsbad, CA ($77,650)

#4. Dental hygienists

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $66,310
- #417 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $78,050
- Employment: 194,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($125,750)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($122,660)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($119,320)

#3. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $68,240
- #240 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 140

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,790
- Employment: 73,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($138,110)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($137,140)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($131,080)

#2. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $70,050
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,940
- Employment: 55,980
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($99,130)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($94,400)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,140)

#1. Radiation therapists

Chattanooga, TN-GA
- Annual mean salary: $71,410
- #78 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

National
- Annual mean salary: $94,300
- Employment: 17,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($169,080)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($159,660)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($131,960)

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