Get a Job with an Associate Degree: Where to find High-Paying Ones

associate degree job tips
Created by CakeResume

Education plays an important role on your resume and in your job application. It allows the recruiter to better understand your qualifications. Generally, there are 5 types of degrees you can list in your resume when you look for a job: high school diploma, associate degree, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and PhD.

Before we start focusing on associate degree jobs, let us look over the different types of degrees: 

  • High school diploma: This is the qualification one can get after studying for four years, from grade 9 to grade 12. The specific coursework requirements may vary from one state to another. 
  • Associate degrees: Considered a step further over a high school diploma but shorter than a bachelor’s degree. However, there are many possible career paths with an associate's degree, and they usually take about two years. 
  • Bachelor’s degree: Regardless of the field you specialize in, a bachelor's program is one of the most common requirements for job-seekers. Traditionally, it is a four-year program, and students learn about general education and a particular specialization. 
  • Master’s degree: Due to the market or personal motivation, graduates can opt to level up their education. Master’s programs tend to take from two to three years, and the level of the classes is more advanced. 
  • Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.): It is the most advanced degree level of them all. After completing one, students become experts in their field. Nonetheless, remember it usually takes at least four years to obtain one. The requirements to apply to one are higher, and so is the level of the dissertation a candidate has to write and defend. 

The number of jobs that you can get with an associate degree has risen lately. In 2019 alone, over 1 million students pursue careers with associate's degrees, and the trend does not seem to slow down anytime soon. Therefore, the are good possibilities of finding a job with an associate's degree.

Moreover, the median yearly income for people with associate degree jobs in the past 20 years has been around $70K. While lower than the salary of someone with a bachelor's degree or higher education, it is much higher than the wage of a high-school graduate (less than $50K).

What is an associate degree? 

You must be excited to learn about the highest-paying jobs you can get with an associate degree. However, let us first further discuss the details you need to know about such an interesting degree.

An associate degree is a solid way into a professional career. It usually takes two years to finish one (even less if you earned college credits in high school). Therefore, it is much more affordable than a bachelor's degree. 

Widely popular in the US, associate degrees are also accepted in Canada, Australia, and Denmark.In those countries, there are many career options with an associate's degree, such as jobs prefer for students with an associate’s in science or even jobs for  psychology associate’s degree graduates.

Benefits of an associate degree

Other than preparing you for some high-paying jobs, an associate's degree can also benefit you in the following ways:

  • It takes less time: Not everyone has the luxury of studying four years to get a bachelor’s degree before starting to work. If time is of the essence, you should consider a developing a career with an associate’s degree.
  • Flexibility: Unlike traditional college, many associate’s degree programs offer classes for students with non-traditional hours, such as classes in the evenings, on Saturdays, or online classes. 
  • It is a great investment: Money matters, and the jobs you could find with an associate degree are a prime example of how a smaller investment can still yield good results. Although sometimes they are half the cost of a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree can improve your salary expectations.

Types of associate degrees

There are different types of associate degress and here are some of the most popular ones that you can start your career with:

  • Associate in Arts: An AA degree gives you access to a broad range of topics like music, literature, business, etc. While an Associate in Arts degree grants you the chance of landing jobs in the relevant fields, it also leaves the door open to enrolling in a bachelor’s program later to further your education. 
  • Associate in Science: Like an AA, an AS is also a broad look into different fields in which you can specialize in the future. Possible paths for a student of an associate of science degree are  jobs like nursing or engineering. 
  • Associate in Applied Science: An AAS is highly specific. It lets students venture into a career right after graduating. AAS programs are more practical and into training for the workplace. An associate of applied science degree can land you a job right after graduation, such as accounting or web development.  

Associate degree jobs

What can you do with an associate's degree? Here are some of the most common careers with an associates degree you could go for:

Dental Hygienist

It is one of the most popular associate's healthcare degrees. Your job is to assist a dentist by cleaning patients’ teeth and educating them. An average dental hygienist associate's degree salary is over $70K yearly. It usually takes three years to get the title. You will need a license from your state as well. 

Accountant

An associate in accounting takes two years in which you learn about basic business and accounting concepts. It prepares you for some entry-level business associate degree jobs (such as financial clerks) as well as easing a transition into a bachelor’s in accounting. The average accounting associate degree salary can be over $40K a year

Business Administrator

There are several business administration jobs for people with an associate degree to pursue even if the study time is shorter than a bachelor’s degree. For example, you could get a position in sales management, as an account executive, in human resources, and other jobs fitting a business associate degree which yield salaries of at least $57K a year.

Criminal Justice Positions

Among the jobs you could get with a criminal justice associate’s degree once you graduate, you can find security officer, prison warden, forensic technician, and many more. Moreover, the salary expectations are promising (for example, a forensic science technician makes over $60K a year), although some positions can be demanding and dangerous.

Social Service Assistant

A path for anyone interested in social work with an associate's degree. With a yearly salary that goes over $50K (7), and a workload that consists of helping those vulnerable citizens find appropriate social services like mental health care or vocational placement.

Computer Programmer

The popularity of this jobs for people with an associate of applied science has risen incredibly thanks to the never-stopping boom of the internet. It is a great time to learn how to code. Computer applications, websites, software, apps, and many other things we use daily, depend on programmers! 

Computer Network Support Specialist

On a similar note, professionals with an associate of applied science can land this job and specialize in evaluating and maintaining network systems running in order and being able to solve any issue that may arise. 

Registered Nurse

It is one of the most common and popular choices. The two-year program allows you to land an associate’s job in nursing right away to gather valuable experience. Many nurses also it as an intermediate step before starting a bachelor’s program. 

Radiographer

People undergoing this program learn about X-rays, computed tomography, and similar techniques to create diagnostic to help patients. To get a job in this field, you will need an associate healthcare degree and a license from the state in which you wish to practice. Salaries in this field tend to go around $60K (8).

You will need an associate degree in paralegal studies to land an job like this one. Your job will include daily duties like organizing documents, researching for cases, fact-checking, etc. This degree also serves as a stepping stone if you intend to get a bachelor’s in the future. 

Real Estate Agent

While it could be considered a job for those with a business associate degree, it is better if you obtain an associate degree in real estate management. You will learn about duties like client relationship management, negotiation technique, etc. The medium annual salary is usually around $50K.

Air Traffic Controller

It is among the highest-paying jobs you could get with an associate’s degree you can get. Airports need individuals with the ability to direct the traffic while maintaining safety and efficiency. It is a highly specialized job that you can obtain with an  associate’s degree in two years depending on the school you enroll to learn. 

Electric Engineering Technician

Nowadays, there are many opportunities to land an job with an associate of applied science degree in this field. You will learn everything about electronics if you study this career. Including product design such as navigational equipment, electronic devices, and even medical technology. 

Assistant

Though it might not rank among the highest paying jobs for people with an associate degree, it can open up opportunities to start your career. This is a job for those with a business associate degree where you will assist your superior with daily tasks of a managerial nature. It can help you gather work experience while you decide what’s next for you. 

Nuclear Technician 

You can even pursue such a highly-technical career with an associate's degree. The job is quite risky and requires a lot of attention as you monitor radiation levels and work to maintain a safe process. For a job that requires an associate’s in science like this one, you might need a very specialized program such as an associate’s degree in nuclear science.

Tips for getting a job with an associate’s degree

You are probably thinking about applying for a job now that you learned about some of the jobs you can pursue with an associate’s degree. You can follow the next tips whether you are looking for entry-level jobs with an associate’s degree or one of the highest-paying associate degree positions:

💡 Get as many certifications as possible

Some companies will be hesitant about hiring someone without a Bachelor’s degree although an associate degree would do just fine for the job. This is particularly true for high-paying jobs you can technically excel at with an associate’s degree. Therefore, to enhance your application you should get any related certification that can help you stand out from other candidates.

💡 Build strong portfolios

Another way to convince a doubtful employer is to prepare a portfolio that showcases your work. This is helpful for someone with an associate of arts degree looking for a job such as design, in which you can give the company an idea of your potential.  Similarly, applications for an associate’s in science job like programming can be benefited from a strong portfolio.

💡 Never stop your education

There are many options of careers you can develop with an associate's degree. Some of them only require the knowledge you can get from two year program. However, if you intend to advance in the field an associate degree might not be enough.

However, you can always further develop your skills and knowledge by utilizing various learning resources available to you. You can sign up for online courses or bootcamps or watch tutorials to educate yourself. 

🔑 Key Takeaways

Remember, jobs you can get with an associate degree can vary from very broad to super specific. The highest paying positions you can excel at with an associate degree tend to require more specialized education (e.g. requiring an AAS rather than an AS). It’s important to always keep learning and improving one’s education.

As time passes, the are fewer limits to what you can do with an associate's degree. You will find them to be a great solution if you need to start your career as soon as possible. 

Another positive aspect of associate’s degrees is that you can use them to gather some work experience and continue your education once your financial situation is better. For example, you can get an associate in science job like being an electric technician and then apply for an Electric Engineering bachelor’s (with a reduced workload).

Finally, starting your career with an associate's degree is a great option if time or money is of importance to you. However, you might face some resistance at first. Be prepared to combat it by preparing as much as possible, building a strong portfolio, and keep studying if you want to increase your job status in the future. 

With CakeResume, you can easily create a resume online, free download your resume in PDF, and utilize ATS-compliant templates to create a resume. Create your resume online (free download) now and land your dream job!

--- Originally written by Roger Rene Ortega Figueroa ---

Resume Builder

Build your resume only in minutes!

More Articles you might be interested in

Latest relevant articles
Resume & CV
Mar 6th 2024

What to Write in an Email When Sending a Resume [+ Examples & Tips]

Looking for guidance on writing an effective email to send resume? Discover expert tips and email examples to maximize your chances of landing that dream job!