Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Memphis

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

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

#29. Dietetic technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $20,590
- #122 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

National
- Annual mean salary: $32,920
- Employment: 26,430
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($55,550)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,700)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($48,370)

#28. Preschool teachers, except special education

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $32,570
- #286 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,490

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)

#27. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $33,130
- #321 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 400

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)

#26. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $43,060
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 680

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)

#25. Broadcast technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $45,390
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50

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)

#24. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $46,110
- #272 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)

#23. Paralegals and legal assistants

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $46,820
- #282 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 980

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. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $48,170
- #141 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80

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)

#21. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $48,190
- #91 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 210

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)

#20. Chemical technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $52,890
- #99 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)

#19. Computer network support specialists

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $54,150
- #390 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,110

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)

#18. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $55,320
- #138 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)

#17. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $55,330
- #176 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 240

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)

#16. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $55,370
- #132 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340

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)

#15. Architectural and civil drafters

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $56,130
- #157 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 220

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. Medical equipment repairers

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $56,300
- #79 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160

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)

#13. Respiratory therapists

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $57,970
- #268 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 770

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. Mechanical drafters

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $58,220
- #121 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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)

#11. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $58,490
- #263 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 950

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)

#10. Physical therapist assistants

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $60,320
- #156 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 450

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)

#9. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $60,430
- #24 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40

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)

#8. Electrical and electronics drafters

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- #57 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 60

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. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $63,640
- #160 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 330

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)

#6. Occupational therapy assistants

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $64,150
- #88 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150

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)

#5. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $64,530
- #170 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 320

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)

#4. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $66,410
- #279 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300

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)

#3. Dental hygienists

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $71,570
- #287 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 850

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)

#2. Nuclear medicine technologists

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $75,150
- #69 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,080
- Employment: 17,510
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($149,860)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($148,240)
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($135,080)

#1. Radiation therapists

Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- Annual mean salary: $80,140
- #60 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90

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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