Jobs that pay on two years of college

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CHICAGO, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- A four-year college degree still counts, but there are jobs that pay well with less education, U.S. employment firm CareerBuilder said Thursday.

CareerBuilder, along with Economic Modeling Specialists, compiled a list of top-paying jobs that require an associates degree, which is two years of schooling at the college level.

Among the top-paying jobs that require two years of college are radiation therapist and dental hygienist, which average pay of more than $70,000 annually.

Paying an average of $60,000 or more are nuclear medicine technician, registered nurse, fashion designer, diagnostic medical sonographer and aerospace engineering and operations technician.

If none of those cut it, air traffic controllers earn an average of $113,547 per year with a two-year degree, CareerBuilder said.

But Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, said a four-year degree has its rewards.

"Nearly one in five employers -- 18 percent -- reported that their educational requirements for jobs in their organizations have increased over the last five years," Rasmussen said.

Options for workers with four-year degrees include petroleum engineer jobs that average $122,242; airline pilots, co-pilots and flight engineers, who earn an average $105,518, and nuclear engineers who earn an average of $99,715.

Four year degrees can also help land a job as a computer hardware engineer, software developer, chemical engineer, electronics engineer, actuary or atmospheric and space scientist, all of which average $90,000 per year or better, CareerBuilder said.