20 high-paying jobs you can get with just an associate degree

Those who hold associate degrees can earn as much as $82,000, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Associate degrees cost significantly less than bachelor’s degrees, and students typically leave with little to no student debt.
Here are the highest-paying jobs you can get with just an associate degree.
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Businesses, trade schools, and local government are all questioning whether four-year degrees best prepare workers for good jobs.

More and more trade schools are appealing to applicants by touting the high salaries some blue-collar professions can pay (like $90,000 for plumbing). High profile CEOs like Tim Cook and Siemens USA’s Barbara Humpton publicly dismissed the idea that workers need a four-year degree to get a good job. At Apple, nearly half of new hires last year included people who didn’t have a college degree.

Many jobs at some of the country’s most desired companies like Google and Netflix are open to those with high school and associate degrees. An associate degree, or a degree between high school and a bachelor’s, can also open doors to jobs with wages as high as $82,000.

Plus, associate-degree students pay significantly less for college than those pursuing bachelor’s degrees. The average cost of an associate degree totals around $10,432 as of 2016, while bachelor’s degrees average $26,120, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Additionally, only 9% of associate degree graduates leave with over $20,000 in debt, and 59% of associate degree recipients did not borrow anything as of 2012, according to Student Debt Relief data.

If you’re considering just enrolling in a two-year program, here are 20 high-paying jobs you can get with just an associate degree.

20. Physical therapist assistants earn a median wage of $58,040.

Associated Press

Number of workers employed: 94,250

Job description on O*NET: Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures.

19. Legal support workers earn a median wage of $58,930.

Shutterstock

Number of workers employed: 43,150

Job description on O*NET: Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative support workers.

18. Radiologic technologists earn a median wage of $59,520.

Associated Press

Number of workers employed: 205,590

Job description on O*NET: Take X-rays and CAT scans, or administer nonradioactive materials into patient’s blood stream for diagnostic purposes. Includes technologists who specialize in other scanning modalities.

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