The roles span healthcare, science and engineering, and every one can be entered with an associate's degree, a postsecondary nondegree award, or a high school diploma, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said in a Career Outlook report published in February. Each is also projected to grow at or above the 3% average rate for all U.S. jobs through 2034, the agency's latest projection cycle.
What stands out is the inversion at the top of the list: the best-paid of these jobs out-earn many that require a bachelor's degree. Most clear the $49,500 median wage for all U.S. workers, and the strongest cluster is in healthcare, where technical roles combine high pay with fast growth.
Among healthcare practitioner and technical jobs, dental hygienists earn the most at a median $94,260, followed by diagnostic medical sonographers at $89,340 and MRI technologists at $88,180, all requiring only an associate's degree, according to BLS. Psychiatric technicians and ophthalmic medical technicians are the fastest-growing in this group, each projected to expand 20% by 2034.
Occupation
Projected growth, 2024-34
