<p>The 10 top-paying jobs for associate degree graduates are lead by air traffic controller (median pay of $108,040), construction manager ($83,860) and radiation therapist ($74,980), according to NerdWallet.</p>
<p>Among fast-growing jobs, occupations requiring an associates degree had the highest average growth 35 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.</p>
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<p>You don’t need a BA to join the middle class, and a BA is no guarantee that you will be middle class.</p>
<p>Most of the medical jobs listed require a 4 year degree to earn those wages, not a 2 year degree. Air Traffic controller is listed as the highest stress job anywhere. I agree, though, the pay and benefits are amazing if you can deal with the stress. We have a few friends that are air traffic controllers—all of whom will retire at age 55 with full pensions and health care plans. Not bad if you can handle the stress.</p>
<p>Air traffic controller also has skill and other requirements that are a barrier to entry for many people, even though it may not require a bachelor’s degree.</p>
<p>At one time, I wanted to become an air traffic controller. The high degree of situational responsibility / stress and limited variety of employers changed my mind, but it is a very good career path for some people.</p>
Need to try to land a job at Murtha/Johnstown airport that used to average 2-3 flights a day. Wonder if the pay is the pay and benefits package is the same.</p>
<p>My son has a 2 year degree in process technology. His first year he cleared $60k,this year (his 2nd) he will be over $80k. After the 3rd year and finishing the 3 year training, he will hit the top pay scale. If he worked in an oil refinery he would make more.</p>
<p>But even with the associate degree, it was hard to find a job. Several people he graduated with have not found jobs because they assumed they would get o with the local refinery and are not willing to move. He traveled all over the country and the process usually involved testing, working in groups, and then an interview if he got through that. Most jobs he applied for started off with 500-1,000 at the testing phase. The job he ended up getting had 1,000 applicants that got through to the testing phase for 8 eventual jobs. Most people who got through to testing had experience, but the associate degree was counted as 3 years experience.</p>
<p>Really good money for an associate degree, if you can manage to get hired. He was very stressed and broke by the time he got the job (and then he got 2 offers in one week). He’ll probably make more than his sister and her husband ever will with their bachelors degrees!</p>
<p>Need to agree with SteveMA about the health jobs. D1 initially looked at some of those fields and started toward a BS in rad tech before switching to a BSN program. Sonographers usually have the rad tech certification or RN before ultrasound training. It helps them get into those highly competitive 2 year training programs. Nuclear med tech is also something sought after another initial certification or 4 year degree. Even the RN isn’t really a 2year degree at a lot of places. Sure the nursing classes take two years, but many of those will require a student to take per-reqs and earn a certain GPA while they’re on the waiting list to start nursing. </p>
<p>There are lots of 2 year people in those fields who entered a while ago and are doing well. Not sure if I’d trust a new hs grad would be so successful with just the 2year credential.</p>
<p>Now, out of the health field, things may be different. My brother is a machinist and easily out earns me and my degrees. However, manufacturing isn’t the most stable of industries as companies close up shop and move to countries with cheaper labor.</p>
<p>I think there are lots of great two year degrees, and wish a couple of my kids would consider some of them. Two more well-paying, high-demand careers are physical and occupational therapy assistants.</p>
<p>Success for a associates degree RN has become rather market dependent. In some areas, a RN is a RN regardless of how you get there (it is, after all, the same examination). In other areas, don’t even think about getting one of the better positions without your BSN, and some hospitals will not even interview an associates degree RN when there is already a glut of bachelor’s prepared candidates waiting in line.</p>
<p>Anyone considering nursing should thoroughly research the job prospects in the area in which they want to live and work.</p>
<p>PT assistant is a good one! Then again, the two year degree is a bit misleading. It’s 2 years once accepted into the program. Employment rate for new grads was almost 100%, though.</p>
<p>Our community college offers a two year degree and they accept right out of high school. I believe you have to have a B or higher in high school science and math to be accepted.</p>
<p>Living in a good-sized city in the midwest, there are several local community or private, for-profit “colleges” that offer an associate’s in nursing, but only the community college is nationally accredited. The others are not and half the local hospitals won’t even consider an applicant from these schools…something to think about before starting their programs, in addition to their extrememly high fees. All of the major med. and lg. universities offer a 4-yr. BSN program, all of which are very competitive to get into (ie. 3.9 and 4.0’s sometimes don’t get in). In addition, often the programs are laid out where they are one yr. of pre-req’s followed by 3 yrs. officially in the nursing program, and I can say from having a daughter who is a Sr. in nursing that usually the pre-req’s are so many and require such a high GPA that they are done over 3 semesters, not 2, taking a total of 4.5 yrs. for the BSN. Many of the local hospitals are shifting away hiring associate’s in nursing and now taking only BSN.</p>
<p>GermShepLvr–most of the better nursing programs around here moved to 5 year programs several years ago. There are just too many requirements along with clinicals to get it done in 4 years and summer classes really don’t work for a nursing program. None of the hospitals will hire someone with an AA degree any more. About the only place you can get a job with an AA is at a nursing home. Heck, you are better off with a medical assistant certification then an AA in nursing around here. The pay is the same, most are hired by clinics for patient intake (taking vitals, history, etc.) and you get 9-5 hours :D. Hospital nurses here though are paid very well.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on getting an AA to get a job that can fund a BA? My bro. Got his RN at cc then got the BA in Art that was is dream. (However, it took many years of attending college part time, but he he persisted and earned a BA that he didn’t “need”, but certainly “wanted”.)</p>
<p>At our local hospitals, BSNs are basically being phased out in favor of RNs, managed by MSNs. The hospitals are even subsidizing the local RN programs. It’s cheaper, and the RNs usually come to them with more experience. (By the way, in certain states, there is a similar trend in teaching, with master teachers supervising teachers without teaching degrees.) (The local CC RN programs are all nationally accredited.)</p>
<p>But it is also true that is more difficult to get into the RN programs than the BSN ones, and lots of the RN rejects end up there. (When my wife entered the program, it was literally more difficult to get into than Harvard.) However, under health care reform, BSNs will be in a much better position to take on additional responsibilities in doctors’ offices, and in triaging to CD and mental health programs.</p>
<p>The newest thing I’ve seen, with a colleague of mine who has a B.S. in “health sciences” is that he goes back to school, takes the R.N. curriculum (with all the pre-reqs), and they give me an M.S.N. after RN training! (but he pays through the nose for it!) This is definitely new - as about seven years ago, another friend - a magna cum laude grad. of Mount Holyoke with a degree in biology - had to retake her RN pre-reqs 'cause her grades weren’t high enough.</p>