For many people, going to college for years and years and years either doesn’t sound appealing or doesn’t fit their life and schedule. If this sounds like you, you probably want to know which careers will require the least amount of time in school while making you real career money after graduation. Here are the 9 highest paying jobs with a 2 year degree.
1) Registered nurse
Do you love the medical field? Are you passionate about helping and even counseling others when they’re experiencing potentially unknown and scary life changes? If you answered “yes,” then becoming a registered nurse might be the perfect field for you.
When you work as a registered nurse, not only are you able to make a real difference in comforting patients during stressful times but you will actually spend more time with them than the doctor does. You’ll get the opportunity to educate the public on important health issues and affect lives in positive ways. To become a nurse, you only need a 2 year associate’s degree in nursing. The average yearly salary for registered nurses is approximately $65,000.
2) Nuclear technician
You’ve likely heard news reports that fossil fuels will be an energy source of the past in the coming decades. What will replace it? Well, nuclear energy is a popular and highly effective alternative to the polluting and increasingly criticized energy resources of today. That’s where you would come in. As a nuclear technician, you’ll work in either a nuclear reactor or an offsite location where you will partner with nuclear engineers, physicists, and others, to conduct thorough studies and production of nuclear energy. All you need is a 2 year associate’s degree in nuclear technology and you’re on your way to a potential income of $72,000 per year.
3) Radiation Therapist
Radiation therapy has revolutionized the way we treat cancer. It has led to saving lives and allowing people to continue to live happy, successful and healthy lives with their families. As a radiation therapist, you’ll help treat these very people and all you need is an associate’s degree in radiation therapy.
In this profession, your day-to-day duties include checking over the machines and ensuring all equipment is functioning properly. You’ll also be responsible for watching each patient as the treatment is administered and documenting their reactions, while documenting the entire session as well. Not only will you get countless experiences touching people’s lives, you’ll get compensated quite well for it. The average radiation therapist makes about $77,000 annually.
4) Funeral Service Director
People who choose a career in the funeral service field get their sense of purpose from counseling the families and loved ones of recently deceased people during one of the most difficult times in their lives.
As a funeral service director, you’ll be responsible for the coordinating, planning and completion of all the functions offered at a funeral home. You’ll need a two year associate’s degree in funeral service education and after the appropriate training, experience and promotions, you’ll be looking at an average yearly salary of $66,000.
5) Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safety and coordination of thousands of flights ever day across the country. From takeoff to landing, the air traffic controller ensures the passengers and crew are not only safe, but that they keep on schedule with the appropriate departure and arrival times.
Once you get a two year degree in air traffic control, you’ll need to get the proper certifications and training. After that, you’ll have the opportunity to make over $122,000 per year in this profession.