Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Jackson, Tennessee

Written by:
July 15, 2022
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Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Jackson, Tennessee

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 Jackson, TN using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

#11. Preschool teachers, except special education

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $33,390
- #253 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#10. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $39,880
- #309 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

#9. Paralegals and legal assistants

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $41,530
- #425 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120

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)

#8. Architectural and civil drafters

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $47,000
- #341 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30

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)

#7. Respiratory therapists

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $48,750
- #385 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110

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)

#6. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $49,220
- #189 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#5. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $50,900
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#4. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $53,740
- #395 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 170

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)

#3. Computer network support specialists

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- #222 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#2. Dental hygienists

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $65,520
- #430 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#1. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Jackson, TN
- Annual mean salary: $66,720
- #272 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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)

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