What Associate Degree Should I Get

One press gives a job that an associate degree is the usual way into, or a kind of associate degree.

What Associate Degree Should I Get

  1. Aerospace engineering technicianRuns and maintains equipment used to develop, test and produce aircraft and spacecraft. Entry: associate's degree.
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How it works

Weighing a two-year degree? Press the button for an idea: a job for which the US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives an associate degree as the typical entry-level education, or one of the kinds of associate degree.

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Narrow it by field

After your first press, open the All degree ideas list: Health, Engineering and science, or Law, office and public service. Kinds of associate degree holds the degree titles themselves, such as the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Applied Science.

Then check a real program

Each job card ends with the entry the Handbook gives. Look up the program at a college near you and read what it asks for; requirements differ by state and by school.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between an AA, an AS and an AAS?

The Associate of Arts is awarded in the liberal arts, humanities and social sciences, and the Associate of Science in the sciences. The Associate of Applied Science is a terminal degree that students on a vocational program can often earn.

Can an associate degree count toward a bachelor's degree?

Sometimes. In the United States, credits from an AA or AS can sometimes be counted toward a bachelor's degree, depending on the courses taken, state rules and the university's transfer requirements. Ask the university before you enroll.

Which jobs usually start with an associate degree?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists an associate degree as the typical entry-level education for dental hygienists, respiratory therapists, radiologic technologists, paralegals, drafters, air traffic controllers, preschool teachers and several kinds of engineering and science technician.

Does this page say which degree pays best?

No. It holds no pay, job outlook, cost or ranking figures and makes no promise of a job or a transfer. It is a shuffled list of ideas to look into, not advice.

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All 40 degree ideas

Health 9

  • Cardiovascular technician Conducts tests and assists in procedures that involve the heart or lungs. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Dental hygienist Examines patients for signs of oral disease and provides preventive care. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Diagnostic medical sonographer Operates ultrasound equipment to create images of the inside of the body. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Health information technologist Advises organizations on computerized healthcare systems and analyzes clinical data. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Nuclear medicine technologist Prepares and gives radioactive drugs for imaging or treatment. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Radiation therapist Gives doses of radiation to patients who have cancer or other serious diseases. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Radiologic or MRI technologist Performs diagnostic imaging examinations on patients, or runs an MRI scanner. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Respiratory therapist Cares for patients who have trouble breathing. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Veterinary technician Does medical tests that help diagnose the injuries and illnesses of animals. Entry: associate's degree.
Show all 40 degree ideas (31 more)

Engineering and science 15

  • Aerospace engineering technician Runs and maintains equipment used to develop, test and produce aircraft and spacecraft. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Agricultural and food science technician Helps scientists with testing and research on plants, animals, fibers and food products. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Calibration technician Inspects, adjusts and tests measurement devices against standards. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Chemical technician Runs laboratory tests that help scientists analyze the properties of materials. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Civil engineering technician Helps civil engineers plan, design and build infrastructure and development projects. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Drafter Uses software to turn the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Electrical and electronic engineering technician Helps engineers design and develop equipment that is powered by electricity. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technician Operates, tests and maintains electromechanical or robotic equipment. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Environmental engineering technician Carries out the plans that environmental engineers develop. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Environmental science and protection technician Monitors the environment and investigates sources of pollution and contamination. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Geological and hydrologic technician Supports scientists and engineers in exploring and monitoring natural resources. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Industrial engineering technician Helps engineers solve problems that affect manufacturing layout or production. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Mechanical engineering technician Helps mechanical engineers design, develop, test and manufacture machines and devices. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Medical equipment repairer Installs, maintains and repairs patient care equipment. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Nuclear technician Assists physicists and engineers in nuclear power generation and production. Entry: associate's degree.

Law, office and public service 5

  • Air traffic controller Coordinates the movement of aircraft to keep safe distances between them. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Desktop publisher Uses computer software to design page layouts for things printed or published online. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Funeral service worker Organizes and manages the details of a ceremony that honors a person who has died. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Paralegal or legal assistant Supports lawyers by organizing files, doing legal research and drafting documents. Entry: associate's degree.
  • Preschool teacher Educates and cares for children younger than 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten. Entry: associate's degree.

Kinds of associate degree 11

  • Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) A California community college degree tied by state law to transfer into California State University.
  • Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) The science twin of the AA-T, under the same California transfer law.
  • Associate of Applied Arts (AAA) Named beside the AAS as a terminal degree earned on a vocational program.
  • Associate of Applied Business (AAB) A common associate-level title in the United States, for applied study in business.
  • Associate of Applied Science (AAS) A terminal degree that students who complete a vocational program can often earn.
  • Associate of Arts (AA) One of the two most commonly awarded; given in the liberal arts, humanities and social science fields.
  • Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) A common associate-level title in the United States, for the fine arts.
  • Associate of Forestry (AF) A common associate-level title in the United States, for forestry.
  • Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) A common associate-level title in the United States, for occupational studies.
  • Associate of Science (AS) One of the two most commonly awarded; given in the natural, applied and formal science fields.
  • Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) A common associate-level title in the United States, also called Associate Degree Nursing (ADN).

How this list was compiled: 40 cards. 29 are occupations, taken by rule and not by taste: every occupation whose "Entry-Level Education" is "Associate's degree" in the occupation group tables of the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/, a work of the US government). bls.gov refused automated requests on 2026-09-30, so the 24 group tables (341 occupations) were read that day in the Internet Archive's copies (https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm and the same address for each other group; the military group has no such table). Each occupation card keeps the Handbook's own name in x.bls, its entry-level education in x.entry and the address of its Handbook page in x.src. The line is the Handbook's job summary in our words; a script checked a key phrase of every line against the summary, and that the set of cards equals the set the rule gives. The Handbook's label is the typical education for entry, not a requirement and not a promise of work. The other 11 cards are kinds of associate degree, each checked by script against Wikipedia's Associate degree article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associate_degree, read 2026-09-30): the degree titles it lists for the United States and the two California transfer degrees. Associate of Theology, also on that list, is left out. No pay, job outlook, ranking, cost, length or admission claims, and no advice on which degree to choose. The record planned a business and law group; the rule gives only two such occupations, so they sit with public service. Our own: the card names, the four groups and the wording. Licence: US government work (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), in our own words; groups are own work