Highest-Paying Associate Degrees 2026: 20 Careers Ranked by BLS Median Pay
Quick answer
Which associate degrees pay the most?
Using only occupations where the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook lists an associate degree as the typical entry-level education, the top five by May 2025 median pay are air traffic controllers ($148,080), nuclear technicians ($110,240), radiation therapists ($105,310), nuclear medicine technologists ($101,370), and dental hygienists ($98,100). Diagnostic medical sonography ($96,590) and MRI technology ($95,480) round out the group that out-earns the typical bachelor's degree holder.
Source-reviewed September 17, 2026. Every median, employment count, growth rate, and openings figure below comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook occupation pages (May 2025 wages; 2025-35 projections). Numbers are occupation medians, not guaranteed starting salaries for new graduates.
Key Takeaways
- Seven associate-level occupations have median pay above $82,056, the annualized 2025 median for bachelor's degree holders (BLS, $1,578 per week).
- The list is dominated by licensed health technology (radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, dental hygiene, sonography, imaging, respiratory care) and engineering technology roles.
- Fastest projected growth 2025-35: physical therapist assistants (+23%), occupational therapy assistants (+21%), sonographers (+14%), aerospace engineering technologists (+12%).
- Two years of public two-year tuition and fees average $8,300; a $20,000 federal loan at the 2026-27 rate of 6.52% costs about $227 a month on the 10-year plan.
- Registered nursing, web development, and aircraft maintenance are often marketed as two-year careers, but BLS does not classify them as associate-typical.
Most “best associate degree” lists mix occupations that actually require a bachelor's degree, a nondegree certificate, or an apprenticeship with the handful of jobs where a two-year degree is the real credential. This ranking uses a stricter filter: an occupation appears only if the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook names an associate degree as the typical education for entry. That rule removes some popular entries and keeps the list honest about what two years of school buys.
Primary sources checked September 17, 2026
Where the numbers come from
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
Occupation profiles with May 2025 median pay, typical entry-level education, 2025 employment, and 2025-35 projections.
BLS OEWS May 2025 tables
National wage estimates behind every median in this article.
BLS earnings and unemployment by education, 2025
Median weekly earnings for associate, bachelor's, and high school graduates used in the degree-level comparison.
College Board Trends in College Pricing 2025
Published 2025-26 average tuition and budgets for public two-year in-district students (Figure CP-1).
The 20 Highest-Paying Associate Degree Careers
Median pay is the May 2025 national median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, including workers with decades of experience. Employment is the 2025 count. Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025-35; openings include replacement of workers who retire or change fields, which is why slow-growth fields can still hire steadily.
| # | Occupation | Median pay (May 2025) | Jobs (2025) | Growth 2025-35 | Openings / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air traffic controllers | $148,080 | 24,000 | +2% | ~2,100 |
| 2 | Nuclear technicians | $110,240 | 6,700 | +1% | ~900 |
| 3 | Radiation therapists | $105,310 | 17,400 | +3% | ~700 |
| 4 | Nuclear medicine technologists | $101,370 | 17,400 | +4% | ~800 |
| 5 | Dental hygienists | $98,100 | 225,300 | +8% | ~15,000 |
| 6 | Diagnostic medical sonographers | $96,590 | 92,200 | +14% | ~6,000 |
| 7 | MRI technologists | $95,480 | 278,100 (with radiologic) | +5% | ~15,300 (group) |
| 8 | Aerospace engineering & operations technologists | $82,890 | 11,600 | +12% | ~1,100 |
| 9 | Respiratory therapists | $82,280 | 142,000 | +9% | ~8,600 |
| 10 | Radiologic technologists | $80,110 | 278,100 (with MRI) | +5% | ~15,300 (group) |
| 11 | Electrical & electronic engineering technologists | $78,190 | 96,900 | +2% | ~8,100 |
| 12 | Computer network support specialists | $76,220 | 152,500 | +1% | ~48,700 (all computer support) |
| 13 | Mechanical engineering technologists | $74,510 | 36,900 | +1% | ~3,100 |
| 14 | Cardiovascular technologists & technicians | $74,310 | 64,500 | +4% | ~3,400 |
| 15 | Electro-mechanical & mechatronics technologists | $73,900 | 15,700 | +3% | ~1,400 |
| 16 | Occupational therapy assistants | $72,300 | 52,200 | +21% | ~8,600 (with aides) |
| 17 | Physical therapist assistants | $68,380 | 114,100 | +23% | ~24,900 (with aides) |
| 18 | Drafters | $68,090 | 180,200 | +1% | ~14,400 |
| 19 | Industrial engineering technologists | $66,120 | 76,700 | +3% | ~6,600 |
| 20 | Civil engineering technologists | $64,950 | 70,900 | +3% | ~6,100 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook occupation pages, accessed September 17, 2026 (May 2025 OEWS medians; 2025-35 employment projections). Green medians exceed the annualized 2025 bachelor's degree median of $82,056. MRI and radiologic technologists share one OOH profile, as do physical therapist assistants and aides and occupational therapy assistants and aides; group figures are marked.
Notes on the top of the list
1. Air traffic controllers — $148,080
FAA-approved AT-CTI program or bachelor's also listed; federal hiring, medical and age limits apply.
2. Nuclear technicians — $110,240
Tiny field; openings come mostly from retirements.
3. Radiation therapists — $105,310
Licensure or certification (ARRT) required in most states.
4. Nuclear medicine technologists — $101,370
Certification required by most employers.
5. Dental hygienists — $98,100
Largest high-paying associate field; state license required.
6. Diagnostic medical sonographers — $96,590
Associate degree or postsecondary certificate; fastest growth on this list.
7. MRI technologists — $95,480
Usually entered after radiologic technology credentials.
Two patterns stand out. First, pay tracks licensure and radiation or imaging equipment: the jobs that require a state license, a national certification exam, and supervised clinical hours cluster at the top. Second, the largest fields are not the highest paid. Dental hygiene (225,300 jobs) and respiratory therapy (142,000 jobs) offer the best combination of pay and hiring volume, while nuclear technology has only 6,700 jobs nationwide and about 900 openings a year. A high median is worth little if the program near you feeds a market with a few dozen openings.
Three More Associate-Typical Occupations
These fall below the top 20 on pay but pass the same BLS filter and are worth knowing about because of their size or growth.
| Occupation | Median pay | Jobs (2025) | Growth | Openings / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegals and legal assistants | $62,890 | 404,900 | 0% | ~40,800 |
| Geological and hydrologic technicians | $57,150 | 10,300 | +2% | ~1,400 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | $47,380 | 131,400 | +9% | ~13,400 |
Commonly Listed, But Not Associate-Typical
These occupations show up on many two-year-degree lists. BLS assigns them a different typical entry credential, so they are excluded from the ranking above. That does not mean an associate program cannot lead there; it means the median pay reflects a workforce that mostly entered another way.
| Occupation | Median pay (May 2025) | BLS typical entry education |
|---|---|---|
| Registered nurses | $97,550 | Bachelor's degree (OOH typical entry); associate-level RN programs exist but BLS does not classify the occupation as associate-typical. |
| Web developers | $92,650 | Bachelor's degree. |
| Avionics technicians / aircraft mechanics | $82,280 / $79,870 | Postsecondary nondegree award. |
| Surgical technologists | $64,650 | Postsecondary nondegree award. |
| Computer user support specialists | $61,860 | Some college, no degree. |
Registered nursing is the important edge case. Associate Degree in Nursing programs remain a legitimate route to RN licensure, and the $97,550 median would place nursing fifth on the list above. BLS nonetheless lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential, and many hospital systems prefer or require a BSN. If nursing is the goal, compare an ADN-to-BSN bridge against a direct BSN with the college ROI calculator before assuming the two-year route is cheaper overall.
Two-Year Cost vs. First-Year Pay
College Board's Trends in College Pricing 2025 puts average published tuition and fees for public two-year in-district students at $4,150 for 2025-26, so two years cost roughly $8,300 before aid. The full commuter budget, including housing, food, books, and transportation, averages $21,320 a year. The table divides each occupation's median pay by that $8,300 tuition figure and shows what a $20,000 federal loan would cost each month at the 2026-27 undergraduate rate of 6.52% (10-year standard plan: $227; a $10,000 loan is $114).
| Occupation | Median pay | Pay ÷ 2-yr tuition ($8,300) | $20k loan payment (% of gross monthly pay) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air traffic controllers | $148,080 | 17.8x | $227 (1.8%) |
| Radiation therapists | $105,310 | 12.7x | $227 (2.6%) |
| Dental hygienists | $98,100 | 11.8x | $227 (2.8%) |
| Diagnostic medical sonographers | $96,590 | 11.6x | $227 (2.8%) |
| Respiratory therapists | $82,280 | 9.9x | $227 (3.3%) |
| Occupational therapy assistants | $72,300 | 8.7x | $227 (3.8%) |
| Paralegals | $62,890 | 7.6x | $227 (4.3%) |
| Veterinary technologists | $47,380 | 5.7x | $227 (5.7%) |
Tuition: College Board Trends in College Pricing 2025, Figure CP-1, public two-year in-district, 2025-26. Loan payment: DegreeCalc amortization at 6.52% fixed over 120 months. Health-science programs commonly add clinical, lab, uniform, and certification-exam fees on top of the college-wide average; check the program budget.
Even the lowest-paid occupation on the list, veterinary technology at $47,380, returns more than five times the two-year tuition in the first year of work. That ratio is the core argument for a two-year credential: the cost side is small enough that the pay side does not have to be spectacular. Model your own program cost and expected pay in the college cost calculator and the student loan calculator.
Associate vs. Bachelor's: The Degree-Level Numbers
| Education (2025, workers 25+) | Median weekly earnings | Annualized (×52) | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| High school diploma | $966 | $50,232 | 4.3% |
| Associate degree | $1,135 | $59,020 | 3.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | $1,578 | $82,056 | 2.8% |
Source: BLS, Earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment, 2025 (Current Population Survey, full-time wage and salary workers age 25 and over).
The averages favor the bachelor's degree by about $23,000 a year, and that gap is real for the typical graduate. The averages also hide the spread. An associate degree in dental hygiene or sonography lands above the bachelor's median; an associate degree in general studies with no occupational target usually does not. See salary by degree level for the full ladder and associate degree salary by field for a broader field-by-field view.
How to Pick a Program
- Check the program's accreditation and licensure pass rates. Radiation therapy, sonography, respiratory care, dental hygiene, OTA, and PTA programs must hold programmatic accreditation for graduates to sit for licensure exams. Ask the program for its exam pass rate and job-placement rate.
- Look at openings, not just growth. Nuclear technicians earn more than respiratory therapists, but there are roughly 900 openings a year versus 8,600. Volume protects you if your first job search does not go to plan.
- Price the full program budget. Health programs often run five or six semesters and add clinical fees. Use the college's program sheet, not the college-wide tuition average.
- Plan the bachelor's bridge. Many of these fields have degree-completion pathways (imaging, respiratory care, health administration) that can raise the pay ceiling later. A transferable associate degree keeps that option open; see the community college vs. university comparison.
- Consider the online route for the general-education half. Some of the cheapest accredited online bachelor's programs accept associate credits in full; see cheapest accredited online bachelor's degrees.
If you are weighing an associate degree against an apprenticeship or a trade certificate, the highest-paying trade school jobs guide applies the same BLS filter to nondegree paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest-paying associate degree?
Among occupations where the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook lists an associate degree as the typical entry-level education, air traffic controllers have the highest May 2025 median pay at $148,080, followed by nuclear technicians ($110,240), radiation therapists ($105,310), nuclear medicine technologists ($101,370), and dental hygienists ($98,100). Air traffic control is a special case because hiring runs through the FAA with medical, age, and academy requirements.
Can an associate degree really out-earn a bachelor's degree?
In specific occupations, yes. BLS 2025 data put median weekly earnings at $1,135 for associate degree holders versus $1,578 for bachelor's degree holders, a gap of about $23,000 a year. But the top seven occupations on this list all have median pay above the annualized bachelor's median of roughly $82,000. The degree level matters less than which program you finish.
How much does a two-year degree cost?
College Board's Trends in College Pricing 2025 reports average published tuition and fees of $4,150 for public two-year in-district students in 2025-26, or about $8,300 over two years. The full commuter budget including housing, food, books, and transportation averages $21,320 a year. Health-science programs often add clinical, lab, and certification fees, so check the program page rather than the college-wide average.
Is a $20,000 loan manageable on an associate degree salary?
At the 2026-27 undergraduate Direct Loan rate of 6.52%, $20,000 costs about $227 a month on the 10-year standard plan. That is under 3% of gross monthly pay for a dental hygienist at the $98,100 median and about 4.3% for a paralegal at $62,890. Most financial planners consider student loan payments below 8-10% of gross income comfortable.
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