What are some decent jobs I can get with an associate's degree?

It is what you bring to the table. The degree is just an enhancement.

What’s your degree in, what are the skills you bring to the work force, what do you enjoy? Here, people who clean houses, mow lawns, brush hog, tend gardens and do carpentry work get at least $25/hr.

thought this was interesting!

The chart below reflects the median hourly and annual wages in 2006 for the highest-paid occupations requiring post-secondary training or an associate’s degree.

# Occupation Median Wages, 2006
Hourly Annual
1 Computer Specialists, All Other $32.97 $68,600
2 Radiation Therapists $31.81 $66,200
3 Nuclear Technicians $31.49 $65,500
4 Dental Hygienists $30.19 $62,800
5 Fashion Designers $30.10 $62,600
6 Nuclear Medicine Technologists $29.95 $62,300
7 Commercial Pilots N/A $57,500
8 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay $27.60 $57,400
9 Registered Nurses $27.54 $57,300
10 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $27.48 $57,200

It really depends on where you live and where you work as well. As a RN, I’ve made between $15 (at a doctor’s office in Kansas) up to $32 (at a hospital in Delaware) per hour. So the best thing you can do is look at what people with the jobs @BoBo1946 mentioned are making in your area. If you look into nursing, it’s also important to look at whether the area you would be working in hires LPNs or not (if they do, they are going to hire more LPNs which make less money then they are going to hire RNs). If they only hire RNs, you also need to look at if they will hire a RN with an Associates degree or if they want BSNs.

I’m trying to find Occupational/Physical therapy aide programs but I can’t find any for some reaeson…at least in my area!

Twenty bucks an hour w/ an Associates Degree?

Not bloody likely.

I make more then that and I don’t have a degree.

School of hard knocks.

For the $20 an hour jobs, the training and experience are actually more important than an AA degree. However, the problem at this time is you are in competition with people who have the higher degrees, and in most cases, the experience. Getting a job has come down to who is your competition, and what experience/degree does he/she have.

I second what @stratman37 said. Unless you have lots of valuable experience in one desirable area.

You can get a job as a Medical Laboratory Technician “MLT” with an AA degree. Of course you will have to take a lot of clinical science classes and pass a state or national acceditation exam. It is worth the effort as there is a huge shortage of MLT’s and you are sure to have many jobs waiting for you when you are ready. A trade school would be able to help you with this. Good luck!

Actually I do know a good amount of Associate Degrees that make good money like the person above listed but it’s not what I want to do.

I just got the bill for repairing the gear box on my automatic garage opener. Parts – $45: labor for one hour – $75. Of course, the owner and the mechanic split the fee.

@gailcalled A private business owner has taxes, licenses, operating expenses and such, so the fees you see are not a reflection of their actual pay.

@YARNLADY: Good points. I wonder what the mechanic earns. I should have asked him.

If you have enough hours you can work for a school as a substitute teacher. It gets you in the door. One of my daughter’s teachers started that way and she’s full time now. Don’t knock it. They get something like 15 weeks off a year, benefits and pension. They also work with people.

Cities usually have job openings and they have benefits and pensions too. Not too many worries about job stability either. Jobs With Cities