The 25 highest-paying jobs you can get with an associate degree

• While many high-paying jobs require a bachelors degree or more, there are many positions that only require an associate degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• These positions include engineering technicians, dental hygienists, and air traffic controllers.
• Median pay ranges from $55,000 to $125,000, depending on the job.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Don't have the time or money to get a bachelor's degree?

It turns out that plenty of two-year associate degrees have a high return on investment. According to the latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 25 highest-paying jobs that require only an associate degree.

Read more: 20 jobs you can get at companies like Apple or Google that don't require a 4-year degree

According to the most recent data, median pay ranges from $55,000 to $124,540 depending on the job. The majority of positions fell in the $55,460 to $74,999 median pay range, though five positions earned $75,000 or higher. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that — as of May 2018 — the median annual wage for all workers was $38,640, for comparison.

Keep reading for a look at the 25 highest-paying jobs for associate degrees, in order of lowest to highest median pay. We also included required work experience and on-the-job training (if any).

This is an update of a story originally written by Vivian Giang.

25. Industrial engineering technicians

Industrial engineering technicians help industrial engineers implement designs to use personnel, materials, and machines in factories, stores, healthcare organizations, repair shops, and offices. 

Median annual wage (2018): $55,460
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

24. Mechanical drafters

Mechanical drafters prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.

Median annual wage (2018): $55,550
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

17. Electrical and electronics drafters

Electrical and electronics drafters prepare wiring diagrams, circuit-board-assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.

Median annual wage (2018): $55,550
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

23. Mechanical engineering technicians

Mechanical engineering technicians design, develop, test, and manufacture industrial machinery, consumer products, and other equipment.

Median annual wage (2018): $56,250
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

3. Funeral-service managers

Funeral-service managers plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes.

Median annual wage (2018): $57,580
Work experience: Less than five years
On-the-job training: None

16. Occupational therapy assistants

Occupational therapy assistants aid work under the direction of occupational therapists in treating patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.

Median annual wage (2018): $57,620
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

21. Electro-mechanical technicians

Median annual wage (2012): $50,980

Projected job openings (through 2022): 14,100

Work experience: None

Description: Help industrial engineers implement designs to use personnel, materials, and machines in factories, stores, healthcare organizations, repair shops, and offices. 

On-the-job training: None

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

20. Physical therapist assistants

Physical therapist assistants help patients who are recovering from injuries, illnesses, and surgeries regain movement and manage pain.

Median annual wage (2018): $58,090
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

19. Legal support workers

Legal support workers can include clerks and other assistant positions in local or national government.

Median annual wage (2018): $58,930
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

15. Respiratory therapists

Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing like premature infants with undeveloped lungs or elderly patients who have diseased lungs. They also provide emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock.

Median annual wage (2018): $60,280
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

18. Radiologic technologists

Radiologic technologists perform diagnostic imaging examinations, like X-rays, on patients.

Median annual wage (2018): $61,240
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

8. Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Magnetic resonance imaging technologists monitor patient safety and comfort and view images of areas being scanned to ensure the quality of pictures.

Median annual wage (2018): $61,240
Work experience: Less than five years
On-the-job training: None

14. Computer-network-support specialists

Computer-network-support specialists analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, like local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and internet systems, or a segment of a network system.

Median annual wage (2018): $62,770
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

12. Avionics technicians

Avionics technicians install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, like radar, radio, navigation, and missile-control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.

Median annual wage (2018): $63,060
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

13. Engineering technicians (except drafters)

Engineering technicians assist a variety of engineering positions and can include those working in the electromechanical, manufacturing, fuel cell, and other fields.

Median annual wage (2018): $63,200
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

11. Electrical and electronics engineering technicians

Electrical and electronics engineering technicians help engineers design and develop computers, communications equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and other electrical and electronic equipment.

Median annual wage (2018): $64,330
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

10. Aerospace engineering and operations technicians

Aerospace engineering and operations technicians operate and maintain equipment used in developing, testing, and producing new aircraft and spacecraft.

Median annual wage (2018): $67,010
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

22. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians

Cardiovascular technologists and technicians use imaging technology to help physicians diagnose cardiac and blood vessel ailments in patients.

Median annual wage (2018): $67,080
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

7. Diagnostic medical sonographers

Diagnostic medical sonographers use special imaging equipment that directs sound waves into a patient's body to assess and diagnose various medical conditions.

Median annual wage (2018): $68,970
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

9. Web developers

Web developers design, create, and modify websites.

Median annual wage (2018): $69,430
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

6. Dental hygienists

Dental hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for oral diseases like gingivitis, and provide other preventative dental care.

Median annual wage (2018): $74,820
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

5. Nuclear medicine technologists

Nuclear medicine technologists use a scanner to create images of various areas of a patient's body. They prepare radioactive drugs and administer them to patients undergoing the scans.

Median annual wage (2018): $76,820
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

4. Nuclear technicians

Nuclear technicians assist physicists, engineers, and other professionals in nuclear research and nuclear production.

Median annual wage (2018): $79,140
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

2. Radiation therapists

Radiation therapists check equipment, observe patients' reactions to treatment, and document sessions.

Median annual wage (2018): $82,330
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

1. Air-traffic controller

Air-traffic controllers monitor and direct the movement of aircraft. Median annual wages of air-traffic controllers are the highest of any occupation in which workers typically do not need a bachelor's degree.

Median annual wage (2018): $124,540
Work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training

Read more on the highest-paying jobs today:

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26 high-paying jobs for people who hate science

The 30 best high-paying jobs of the future

The 25 highest-paying entry-level jobs for college grads

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