You can build a prosperous career without pursuing higher education. But a degree certainly doesn’t hurt your chances of landing a high-paying job—and that includes an associate’s degree.
An associate’s degree can lay the foundation for a financially rewarding career. But how can pursuing an associate’s degree set you up for success—and what are some of the top-paying roles you can land with your associate’s?
What’s an Associate’s Degree and Why Would You Get One?
An associate’s degree is a two-year undergraduate degree. Associate’s degrees give students a foundational education in their area of study. From there, they can either take their associate’s degree and transfer to a four-year university to pursue their bachelor’s or take the skills and knowledge they gained over those two years and head straight into the workforce.
So why would someone want to pursue an associate’s degree—rather than skip post-secondary education altogether? “Many employers are requiring that candidates possess a minimum of an associate degree for all types of job openings,” says Glenda Walters, global career development facilitator (GCDF) and career counselor at Tri-County Technical College in South Carolina. “Earning an associate degree can lead to more opportunities, whether it involves advancing in your existing career or preparing for a new one.”
An associate’s degree doesn’t just pave the way for more opportunities; it can lead to more lucrative opportunities. “[Associate’s] degrees open doors for higher wages and graduates are less likely to be unemployed,” says Shannon Trefts, career center coordinator and counselor at Oxnard College in Southern California.
An associate’s degree can also have some advantages over a bachelor’s degree—starting with the fact that it’s less costly and time-intensive. “Since it takes less time to complete an associate degree than a bachelor’s degree, associate degree programs typically cost less,” Walters says. Plus, “the shorter time it takes to complete an associate degree program allows graduates to enter the workforce and start earning sooner.”
Associate’s programs also typically offer more flexibility in how and when you pursue your degree—and that convenience can be a major draw, particularly for non-traditional students. “Many associate degrees can be earned online, making it a great option for working adults and those who have a busy schedule,” Walters says.
Now that you know why you might consider getting an associate’s, let’s jump right into some high-paying roles you can land with an associate’s degree. For the purposes of this article, we’re defining a high-paying role as a job where the average salary, based on data from the compensation resource Payscale, is above the median salary for all occupations in the U.S.—which, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was $41,950 as of May 2020. (Note that Payscale updates its database nightly; the numbers below reflect the latest figures as of March 2021.)
