Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Dallas

Written by:
February 1, 2021
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

Highest paying jobs that require a 2 year degree in Dallas

The American economy is increasingly becoming one in which a high school education is simply not enough. Of the 55 million job openings expected from 2010 to 2020, only 36% will require a high school education or less, 30% will require some college or an associate degree, while 35% will require at least a bachelor's degree, according Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workplace.

Attaining an associate degree or better for 25- to 29-year-olds increased from 38% to 46% between 2000 to 2017, while bachelors degree attainment or better increased from 29% to 36%, and attainment of master's degrees or higher grew grown from 5% to 9%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While the largest percentage of U.S. workers only hold a high school diploma—with the second-highest percentage belonging to those with baccalaureate degrees—the number of holders of an associate or technical degree is rising.

Fortunately, the number of associate degree-friendly positions is growing. Stacker compiled a list of the highest and lowest paying jobs that require a 2-year degree in Dallas using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

With many people finding the cost of a four-year education too high, given the rising cost of tuition and stagnant wage growth, it's encouraging to know that there are obtainable, well-paying professions for those with a two-year degree. While a bachelor's degree holder can be expected to make about $500,000 more in lifetime earnings compared with an associate degree holder, the jobs we have listed show the exceptions.

Keep reading to learn about some well-paying gigs you can land with an associate degree.

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#36. Dietetic technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $28,700
- Employment: 570

National
- Annual mean salary: $31,180
- Employment: 29,230
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CHRISTOF STACHE // Getty Images

#35. Preschool teachers, except special education

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $35,180
- Employment: 10,790

National
- Annual mean salary: $34,650
- Employment: 431,350
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Maria Sbytova // Shutterstock

#34. Veterinary technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $36,340
- Employment: 3,360

National
- Annual mean salary: $36,670
- Employment: 110,650
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NKM999 // Shutterstock

#33. Embalmers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $39,760
- Employment: data not available

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,100
- Employment: 3,890
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Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock

#32. Human resources assistants, except payroll and timekeeping

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $43,590
- Employment: 3,490

National
- Annual mean salary: $42,620
- Employment: 117,340
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock

#31. Broadcast technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $47,530
- Employment: 320

National
- Annual mean salary: $46,800
- Employment: 28,650
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photodiem // Shutterstock

#30. Environmental science and protection technicians, including health

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $49,850
- Employment: 790

National
- Annual mean salary: $50,760
- Employment: 32,620
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Anze Furlan // Shutterstock

#29. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $50,370
- Employment: 710

National
- Annual mean salary: $58,360
- Employment: 25,440
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GOLFX // Shutterstock

#28. Desktop publishers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $50,810
- Employment: 290

National
- Annual mean salary: $48,740
- Employment: 8,740
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Canva

#27. Civil engineering technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $52,160
- Employment: 1,260

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,480
- Employment: 68,870
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Halfpoint // Shutterstock

#26. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $52,720
- Employment: 1,580

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,600
- Employment: 56,110
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Lighthunter // Shutterstock

#25. Medical equipment repairers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $53,240
- Employment: 1,300

National
- Annual mean salary: $53,130
- Employment: 46,370
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Gearstd // Shutterstock

#24. Mechanical drafters

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $55,650
- Employment: 1,150

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,500
- Employment: 55,210
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#23. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $55,690
- Employment: 800

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,420
- Employment: 14,290
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Hitdelight // Shutterstock

#22. Architectural and civil drafters

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $55,850
- Employment: 4,040

National
- Annual mean salary: $58,080
- Employment: 98,800
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Dragon Images // Shutterstock

#21. Chemical technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $56,150
- Employment: 890

National
- Annual mean salary: $52,910
- Employment: 65,760
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Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock

#20. Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $56,170
- Employment: 630

National
- Annual mean salary: $57,820
- Employment: 14,370
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#19. Environmental engineering technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $56,730
- Employment: 270

National
- Annual mean salary: $54,740
- Employment: 18,010
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#18. Electrical and electronics drafters

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $60,120
- Employment: 820

National
- Annual mean salary: $65,720
- Employment: 24,140
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lenetstan // Shutterstock

#17. Radiologic technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $61,390
- Employment: 3,660

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,120
- Employment: 207,360
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#16. Paralegals and legal assistants

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $62,690
- Employment: 7,940

National
- Annual mean salary: $55,020
- Employment: 329,870
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#15. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $62,730
- Employment: 750

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,160
- Employment: 42,820
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Dmytro Zinkevych // Shutterstock

#14. Respiratory therapists

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $64,350
- Employment: 3,460

National
- Annual mean salary: $63,950
- Employment: 132,090
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U.S. Geological Survey // Flickr

#13. Geological and hydrologic technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $65,680
- Employment: 910

National
- Annual mean salary: $60,800
- Employment: 17,110
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#12. Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $67,070
- Employment: 640

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,340
- Employment: 11,540
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#11. Occupational therapy assistants

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $68,360
- Employment: 1,400

National
- Annual mean salary: $61,880
- Employment: 44,990
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anyaivanova // Shutterstock

#10. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $70,430
- Employment: 3,090

National
- Annual mean salary: $66,240
- Employment: 122,550
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#9. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $72,080
- Employment: 2,070

National
- Annual mean salary: $59,400
- Employment: 67,110
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#8. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $74,990
- Employment: 1,370

National
- Annual mean salary: $75,780
- Employment: 72,790
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#7. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $75,100
- Employment: 840

National
- Annual mean salary: $74,270
- Employment: 37,900
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Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock

#6. Web developers and digital interface designers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $75,200
- Employment: 3,850

National
- Annual mean salary: $82,370
- Employment: 148,340
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Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock

#5. Computer network support specialists

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $78,920
- Employment: 5,300

National
- Annual mean salary: $68,860
- Employment: 185,430
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#4. Dental hygienists

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $81,030
- Employment: 5,060

National
- Annual mean salary: $77,230
- Employment: 221,560
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#3. Nuclear medicine technologists

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $82,480
- Employment: 210

National
- Annual mean salary: $80,240
- Employment: 18,110
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#2. Radiation therapists

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $86,970
- Employment: 910

National
- Annual mean salary: $91,620
- Employment: 17,860
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Burben // Shutterstock

#1. Air traffic controllers

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Annual mean salary: $142,990
- Employment: 780

National
- Annual mean salary: $120,140
- Employment: 22,090

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