20% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
The 30 Highest-Paying Jobs With an Associate's Degree (2026)
Air Traffic Controller tops this list at $148,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +1.2% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
Occupations whose typical education needed for entry, as recorded by BLS Employment Projections, is an associate's degree, ranked by national median annual wage. Occupations reached with a certificate or with a bachelor's degree are on their own lists.
- Careers on this list
- 30
- Median pay on the list
- $75,365
- Projected to grow
- 25 of 30
- Openings a year
- 195,500
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How we built this list
- Included when the BLS Employment Projections "typical education needed for entry" is an associate's degree.
- Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS. Entry education is the typical route BLS records, not a ceiling: people do enter several of these occupations by other paths.
- BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The top 30 highest-paying jobs with an associate's degree
1. Air Traffic Controller
Transportation and Material Moving
- Median pay
- $148,080
- Growth
- +1.2%
- Openings / yr
- 2,200
- Education
- Associate's
Control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
2. Nuclear Technician
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $110,240
- Growth
- -7.7%
- Openings / yr
- 700
- Education
- Associate's
Assist nuclear physicists, nuclear engineers, or other scientists in laboratory, power generation, or electricity production activities.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
3. Radiation Therapist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $105,310
- Growth
- +1.9%
- Openings / yr
- 900
- Education
- Associate's
Provide radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiation oncologist according to established practices and standards.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
4. Nuclear Medicine Technologist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $101,370
- Growth
- +3.0%
- Openings / yr
- 900
- Education
- Associate's
Prepare, administer, and measure radioactive isotopes in therapeutic, diagnostic, and tracer studies using a variety of radioisotope equipment.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $98,100
- Growth
- +7.0%
- Openings / yr
- 15,300
- Education
- Associate's
Administer oral hygiene care to patients.
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $96,590
- Growth
- +13.0%
- Openings / yr
- 5,800
- Education
- Associate's
Produce ultrasonic recordings of internal organs for use by physicians.
7. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $95,480
- Growth
- +7.1%
- Openings / yr
- 2,600
- Education
- Associate's
Operate Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
8. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $82,890
- Growth
- +8.1%
- Openings / yr
- 900
- Education
- Associate's
Operate, install, adjust, and maintain integrated computer/communications systems, consoles, simulators, and other data acquisition, test, and measurement instruments and equipment, which are used to launch, track, po…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $82,280
- Growth
- +12.1%
- Openings / yr
- 8,800
- Education
- Associate's
Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders.
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $80,110
- Growth
- +4.3%
- Openings / yr
- 12,900
- Education
- Associate's
Take x-rays and CAT scans or administer nonradioactive materials into patient's bloodstream for diagnostic or research purposes.
11. Funeral Home Manager
Management
- Median pay
- $78,790
- Growth
- +4.1%
- Openings / yr
- 2,600
- Education
- Associate's
Plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
12. Non-Destructive Testing Specialist
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $78,350
- Growth
- +1.5%
- Openings / yr
- 5,700
- Education
- Associate's
Test the safety of structures, vehicles, or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
13. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $78,190
- Growth
- +0.6%
- Openings / yr
- 8,400
- Education
- Associate's
Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, adjust, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery fo…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
14. Electrical and Electronics Drafter
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $76,870
- Growth
- -5.6%
- Openings / yr
- 1,700
- Education
- Associate's
Prepare wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $76,220
- Growth
- +1.8%
- Openings / yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Associate's
Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks.
16. Mechanical Engineering Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $74,510
- Growth
- 0.0%
- Openings / yr
- 3,200
- Education
- Associate's
Apply theory and principles of mechanical engineering to modify, develop, test, or adjust machinery and equipment under direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
17. Cardiovascular Technologist and Technician
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $74,310
- Growth
- +3.0%
- Openings / yr
- 3,800
- Education
- Associate's
Conduct tests on pulmonary or cardiovascular systems of patients for diagnostic, therapeutic, or research purposes.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
18. Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $73,900
- Growth
- +1.1%
- Openings / yr
- 1,300
- Education
- Associate's
Operate, test, maintain, or adjust unmanned, automated, servomechanical, or electromechanical equipment.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
19. Occupational Therapy Assistant
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $72,300
- Growth
- +19.2%
- Openings / yr
- 7,200
- Education
- Associate's
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
20. Mechanical Drafter
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $71,550
- Growth
- -6.5%
- Openings / yr
- 3,300
- Education
- Associate's
Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
21. Physical Therapist Assistant
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $68,380
- Growth
- +22.0%
- Openings / yr
- 19,800
- Education
- Associate's
Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
22. Health Information Technologist and Medical Registrar
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $68,020
- Growth
- +14.7%
- Openings / yr
- 3,200
- Education
- Associate's
Apply knowledge of healthcare and information systems to assist in the design, development, and continued modification and analysis of computerized healthcare systems.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
23. Calibration Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $67,820
- Growth
- +4.7%
- Openings / yr
- 1,400
- Education
- Associate's
Execute or adapt procedures and techniques for calibrating measurement devices, by applying knowledge of measurement science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and electronics, sometimes under the direction of engineer…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
24. Architectural and Civil Drafter
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $66,150
- Growth
- +4.1%
- Openings / yr
- 10,000
- Education
- Associate's
Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
25. Industrial Engineering Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $66,120
- Growth
- +1.7%
- Openings / yr
- 6,300
- Education
- Associate's
Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
26. Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician
Architecture and Engineering
- Median pay
- $64,950
- Growth
- +2.1%
- Openings / yr
- 5,500
- Education
- Associate's
Apply theory and principles of civil engineering in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of structures and facilities under the direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
27. Hydrologic Technician
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $64,790
- Growth
- -2.1%
- Openings / yr
- 400
- Education
- Associate's
Collect and organize data concerning the distribution and circulation of ground and surface water, and data on its physical, chemical, and biological properties.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
28. Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installer and Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Median pay
- $63,520
- Growth
- +8.6%
- Openings / yr
- 1,200
- Education
- Associate's
Repair, install, or maintain mobile or stationary radio transmitting, broadcasting, and receiving equipment, and two-way radio communications systems used in cellular telecommunications, mobile broadband, ship-to-shor…
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Legal
- Median pay
- $62,890
- Growth
- +0.2%
- Openings / yr
- 39,300
- Education
- Associate's
Assist lawyers by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedent.
30. Quality Control Analyst
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $62,280
- Growth
- +3.5%
- Openings / yr
- 10,600
- Education
- Associate's
Conduct tests to determine quality of raw materials, bulk intermediate and finished products.
Profile coming in the next tranche.
Highest-Paying Jobs With an Associate's Degree: FAQ
What is the top career on the highest-paying jobs with an associate's degree list?
Air Traffic Controller leads the list with a median wage of $148,080 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +1.2% over 2024–2034. Typical entry-level education is associate's.
How was this list put together?
Occupations whose typical education needed for entry, as recorded by BLS Employment Projections, is an associate's degree, ranked by national median annual wage. Occupations reached with a certificate or with a bachelor's degree are on their own lists. Included when the BLS Employment Projections "typical education needed for entry" is an associate's degree. Ranked by national median annual wage from BLS OEWS. Entry education is the typical route BLS records, not a ceiling: people do enter several of these occupations by other paths. BLS publishes one wage per occupation code, and several O*NET job titles can share a code. Only one title per code is listed, so the same wage does not appear over and over. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET 30.3 Database.
How much do highest-paying jobs with an associate's degree pay?
Across the 30 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $75,365 a year, from $62,280 at the bottom to $148,080 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
None. BLS lists an associate's degree or higher as the typical entry requirement for all 30 careers on this list.