The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed income and education of all American workers, and the statistics are exceptionally clear. In 2009, the average weekly median income of all workers was $774. This was slightly higher than the income of a holders of an associate's degree ($761), but significantly less than the holders of a bachelor's degree ($1,025). In other words, a bachelor's degree was worth an additional $264 every week.
Unemployment rates show the same relationship between education and employment. According to statistics from the state of California in 2009, the median unemployment rate was 9.8 percent, and the median income was $35,366. People with some college experience and/or an associate's degree had a slightly lower rate of 8.8 percent (median income: $35,643), and people with a bachelor's degree were unemployed at only 6.1 percent (median income: $51,938).
Associate's degrees have the advantage of being shorter programs (usually two years in duration, as opposed to a four-year bachelor's degree). The quick turnaround means a student can gain a credential in a short period of time, while considering transfer to a bachelor's program if circumstances permit.