High-paying jobs you can get with just an associate’s degree
- Those with associate’s degrees can earn up to $ 82,000, according to data from the United States 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’s degree.
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Businesses, trade schools and local government all wonder if four-year degrees best prepare workers for good jobs.
More and more trade schools are appealing to applicants by touting the high salaries that certain blue-collar occupations can pay (like $ 90,000 for plumbing). Top CEOs like Tim Cook and Barbara Humpton of Siemens USA have publicly rejected 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.
Read more: Blue-collar jobs like plumbing pay $ 90,000 without a college degree, and that pushes more workers into trades
Plenty of jobs at some of the country’s most sought-after companies like Google and
Netflix
are open to those with high school and associate degrees. An associate’s degree, or a high school-bachelor’s degree, can also open the door to jobs with salaries of up to $ 82,000.
Additionally, associate degree students pay significantly less for college than those pursuing bachelor’s degree studies. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost of an associate’s degree is about $ 10,432 in 2016, while bachelor’s degrees average $ 26,120. What’s more, only 9% of associates graduates leave with more than $ 20,000 in debt, and 59% of associates with an associate degree did not borrow anything in 2012, according to data on the student debt relief.
If you’re considering enrolling in a two-year program, here are 20 high-paying jobs you can get with just an associate’s degree.