The Top 10 Highest-Paying Jobs Requiring a Two Year Degree

August 22nd, 2011 - By TheEditor

By Nola Ogunro

Lack of education is often cited as a main reason for higher rates of African-American unemployment. Yet getting an education to further your career can be a catch-22. Many people cannot afford to take a four-year break from working with little guarantee that they will be able to find a job with their bachelor’s. But this is not a reason to avoid getting a practical education. There are many lucrative careers for which qualified applicants will be in high demand in the coming years, which only require a two-year degree or vocational training. Here are some of the highest paying jobs that require only an associate degree according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Four of the highest paying jobs are in healthcare — and almost 600,000 registered nurses will be needed in the coming years. Are some of these jobs that only require a two-year degree right for you? Read on to decide.

1. Radiation Therapists

–Median Income – $74,980/yr

–Can earn up to $110,550/yr

–Job increases by 2018 – 2,810

–Requirements: Associates Degree

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Guest

I think I am misunderstanding something. Number ten on your list is Aerospace engineering, and operations technicians. I don’t believe ANY type of engineering is a 2 yr degree.
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Casey1272

This isn’t totally accurate. More and more states are requiring bachelors in nursing to be employed by a hospital. IN fact New York made it a law
- devans
  
  I wonder how many nurses aides work there?
cwgmpls

So 5 of the 10 are some type of medical technician, earning about $70,000, when a person with similar skills in most other industries would be making maybe 40K? And nobody can figure out why healthcare costs are out of control?
- http://www.facebook.com/janetecooke Janet Cooke
  
  Now why would someone in another field have medical skills? BTW, all costs are out of control.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Frank-McGar/100002101022772 Frank McGar

Most people don’t want to work in a hospital or dentist’s office. Those are 2 places that cause the avg. person a lot of anxiety.
- devans
  
  You bet, I can remember very well, but home health was very rewarding. I insist that those nurses require at least 5 years of med surg to work home health. Most are gericitric patients and need more experience because of thier special needs. I had 2 and 4 year nurses come in and take my jobs constantly and most of those nurses were new grads and ” I lkie it” were their response to me informing them as they took my jobs,” you need more med surg experience.” They harmed alot of patients. The health care field needs to be closely looked at it has changed for the worst. But then so has our society.
Troll

All I know is… Kissin’ a** and suckin d*** gets you in higher places then degree’s and experience.. lol…
Lsujoe

Nice picture of a coal fired power plant that is supposed to be nuclear? Cooling towers doth not maketh a nuke station.
http://britainloans.co.uk/ payday loans

There are quite a few jobs out there which do not require a degree; however, many of those jobs do require some types of training which may take a year or two. A tip for all the jobless out there: if you have experience, take that experience and pursue a job with your past experience. It may require you to relocate though. If you do not have experience, and you may want to get more training in something that is in demand. Many secure jobs are in the medical field, although engineers are always in high demand as well.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WSPZLMMQOUXQ2TNQUXBT5MDWPU Jakob

They got the whole commercial pilot thing wrong. While a four year degree won’t necessary preclude you from getting an airline job it will make it much harder. Most airlines require a 4 year degree, but what is the real kicker is the amount of flight time you have logged. Be prepared to spend 80-100K just in flight training and be prepared to accept a job making maybe $15 an hour. It takes alot of years and sacrifices to reach the salary that this article claims. People don’t become airline pilots these days for the money.

On a different note, if I knew my dental hygenist was making 93K a year, I think I would feel that I’m being ripped off. More power to you if you can magically pull that off.

And the Nursing thing, an Associates is all you need to be an RN, however a first year BSN will always put you a head of the line against a first year ASN.
lifesaver71

I have been a Registered Nurse for 13 years; I have a 2-year degree (that actually took 3 years) . My salary is in the $90k range without OT. Last year I grossed $176k. Granted I worked quite a bit, but my benefits also allow for quite a bit of paid time off. I am $10/hr lower than the top pay scale at my institution. I work in a surgical ICU at a university hospital in the northeast. The job is very demanding; I hold people lives in my hand, but I love my job and would not trade it for any other.
- http://www.facebook.com/janetecooke Janet Cooke
  
  TY, lifesaver71, for setting the record straight.
Lopa

Nurses do not need four year degrees. The only difference between the associates and the BSN in most environments are humanities courses and theory classes, however the “meat and potatoes” is the same. ADN or BSN we all sit for the same boards, and we all do the same job. If you wish to progress or work for a magnet hospital then yes, you do need a BSN.

Otherwise, a floor nurse, is a floor nurse, is a floor nurse.

Oh and the “nursing shortage” is a myth. As long as states do not enact nurse/patient ratio laws hospitals will ALWAYS do more with less in order to turn a profit.
Carol Davis

Radiation therapy is a relatively safe career field nowdays. The beam is electrically generated and due to the high energies involved the therapists are outside of the treatment room behind concrete walls. The majority of training programs are either 4 year degrees, or require you to have an AA degree in radiologic technology (x-ray tech) followed by a 12-15month certificate course in radiation therapy. Please do not consider becoming a radiation therapist for the money, it involves dealing with cancer patients and you must have genuine empathy for them and a real interest in the field.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Riki-Garbanzo/100002976726275 Riki Garbanzo

This article is BOGUS. Pilots have to put in a LOT more than a 2 year degree, A LOT MORE. Then they have to accept practically minimum wage for a few years to gain hours and eventually they make a salary that can be lived on. Those high wages are after several years.
Get your facts straight and quit writing for headlines. You should be ashamed of this article.
Nt548

Wow…really an airline pilot? Where the hell did this person get their BS statistics. ALL major carriers require a 4 year degree.
Real World

this article is probably written by a random gal who happen to have “found” a generic statistics online… zero credibility to the author… do some “real” research in the “real” world
- Saw6892
  
  The source is the bureau of labor statistics. What else could someone use to do their research?
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tr7fan

my nurse practioner tells me it s a hard job thats why she became an np because she was just physically wore out from all the lifting involved as a nurse. i a woman who was permanently injured
the first year she worked as rn. many back surgeries later shes got the point she doesnt leave the house. another man in the class ended up stealing meds from patients and lost his license another
was arrested for drunk driving and lost his
be careful how u work so u dont get hurt
- Mom2faalli
  
  Bedside nursing is very difficult. I remember when I was hired by the hospital I currently work for and was told that in 2yrs 50% of the people in the new hire group I was in would no longer be working there. Well, I have held up for almost 20 yrs as an Assoc Degree RN. While at the bedside the pay is the same, your opportunities for advancement are limited…..so unless you really like bedside nursing, (and there are some who do like it in spite of the stress) you could be stuck in a career with a high turnover and “burn out” rate. Offices do not pay what hospitals can and can still be difficult places to work. The good thing is that most hospitals do want their nurses to have at least a BSN and so will help pay education to help you obtain that, often offering programs which get you through quicker by allowing you to use work time as clinical time for school.
  I see many new nurses heading straight into advanced practice nursing as quick as they can get the education. and while I think that is an admirable goal, I think that years of practice on “the floor” go a long way……experience is one of the best teachers when it comes to nursing.
  Pay in nursing varies greatly from one geographical area to another. Where I live in the midwest, while nursing is an decent wage, (I make about 56k/yr after 20yrs) it is certainly not a very high paying job…..which is one reason I never went on to get my bachelor’s–no increase in pay for doing the same job.
  - devans
    
    Yep, I can agree with you, very sensible.
RenJennM

Too bad I have absolutely no talent or interest in any of these careers -___-

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