Hitdelight // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Florence

Although it all depends on what you make of it, choosing to further your education may lead to higher paying job opportunities. An associate’s degree takes just two years and offers more affordable tuition rates than a four-year school. As of April 2022, the average yearly salary for an individual with an associate’s degree comes out to $45,989.

Students have a plethora of specialties to choose from when obtaining a 2-year degree, from industry-specific roles in health care or IT or a more generalized education path. Salaries differ between areas of study, job type, experience, and, of course, location. A Georgetown University study that looked at job growth and education requirements through 2020 stated that 30% of job openings required “at least some college or an associate’s degree.” Students can choose to head right into the workforce after earning an associate’s, or continue their education toward earning a bachelor’s degree.

The unemployment rate for associate’s degree holders is only 2%, according to research from the Education Data Initiative. Having an associate’s degree under your belt is proven to increase one’s chance of holding a professional or management position in any number of industries, among them education and health, wholesale retail and trade, and professional and business services.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying jobs that require a 2-year degree in Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.

You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Florence that don’t require a college degree

CHRISTOF STACHE // Getty Images

#12. Preschool teachers, except special education

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $23,470
– #503 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 200

National
– Annual mean salary: $36,550
– Employment: 370,940
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA ($49,990)
— Ocean City, NJ ($49,720)
— Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ ($49,560)

Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock

#11. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $27,360
– #433 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $37,860
– Employment: 109,490
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($57,990)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($52,220)
— Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($51,340)

Dragon Images // Shutterstock

#10. Chemical technicians

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $37,860
– #259 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $53,700
– Employment: 63,490
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Billings, MT ($86,340)
— Alaska nonmetropolitan area ($79,390)
— Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($78,000)

GaudiLab // Shutterstock

#9. Paralegals and legal assistants

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $42,450
– #407 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $56,610
– Employment: 332,720
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($90,640)
— Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($76,960)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,640)

Canva

#8. Dental hygienists

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $48,410
– #503 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 120

National
– Annual mean salary: $78,050
– Employment: 194,830
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($125,750)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($122,660)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($119,320)

You may also like: People from these metros are finding new jobs in Florence

lenetstan // Shutterstock

#7. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $49,590
– #452 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $64,840
– Employment: 206,720
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($127,890)
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($118,480)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($118,100)

Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

#6. Respiratory therapists

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $49,830
– #376 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $65,640
– Employment: 131,890
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($113,450)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,330)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($101,690)

Hitdelight // Shutterstock

#5. Architectural and civil drafters

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $50,320
– #305 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $59,120
– Employment: 99,180
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC ($76,060)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,700)
— Anchorage, AK ($75,650)

SofikoS // Shutterstock

#4. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $55,350
– #352 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $77,790
– Employment: 73,920
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($138,110)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($137,140)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($131,080)

Canva

#3. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $55,900
– #151 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 50

National
– Annual mean salary: $56,590
– Employment: 67,270
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,190)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($83,250)
— Baton Rouge, LA ($81,340)

You may also like: How Florence feels about climate change

anyaivanova // Shutterstock

#2. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $58,710
– #255 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 40

National
– Annual mean salary: $68,310
– Employment: 115,270
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area ($99,890)
— Fort Collins, CO ($91,980)
— Bakersfield, CA ($90,780)

Canva

#1. Physical therapist assistants

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL
– Annual mean salary: $62,340
– #113 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $59,440
– Employment: 92,740
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($85,960)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,740)
— Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($76,390)