The Highest Paying Careers With an Associate's Degree

By now, you have no doubt heard that a college graduate earns significantly more than a high school graduate over the course of a lifetime. The prevailing wisdom is that by extension, a bachelor's degree must be worth more than an associate's degree--but today, that is not always the case. There are some highly lucrative careers available that require no more than two years of college, particularly in the allied health and technical fields. The Business and Legal Resources report on the 25 top paying jobs for associate's degrees in 2007 listed computer specialists, radiation therapists, nuclear technicians, dental hygienists and nuclear medicine technologists as the five highest paid holders of associate's degrees.
  1. Computer Specialists

    • An AA degree in a computer-related major can earn you an annual salary of $71,000, or an hourly rate of $34.38. Computer specialists can work in corporations, universities and many other employment settings, providing technical support or coordinating network security.

    Radiation Therapists

    • Radiation therapists provide radiation treatment to cancer patients and made an average annual salary of $70,000, or $33.66 per hour, in 2007. Community colleges often offer two year programs in radiation therapy.

    Nuclear Technicians

    • Nuclear technicians get to work on high-tech testing and researching equipment, and are ready to start work after completing a two year program. The average annual salary for a nuclear technician in 2007 was $66,100, or an hourly $31.80.

    Dental Hygienists

    • After you complete a two year program at an accredited dental hygiene school, you can take an exam to become a dental hygienist. Then you'll be on your way to earning an annual salary of $64,700, or an hourly $31.12, for providing routine dental care such as cleaning teeth and taking x-rays.

    Nuclear Medicine Technologists

    • Another job in the nuclear science field netted licensed nuclear medicine technologists an annual salary of $64,700 and an hourly rate of $31.09 in 2007. A two year degree in nuclear medicine technology is a standard hiring requirement. Nuclear medicine technologists use nuclear technology like x-rays to diagnose medical conditions.

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