What Is the Value of an Associate Degree?

An associate's degree is generally known as an undergraduate academic degree, which is awarded by an educational institution such as a community college, junior college, and technical college and in some cases, a four-year bachelor's degree-granting colleges. In the United States, an associate's degree is often the equivalent to the first two years of a four-year college or university degree. In the United States, an associate’s degree is usually offered after two years of education or 60 college credits or units earned, which involves a significant number of general educational courses including core courses and electives. A large number of subjects including science, art, business, engineering, computer, health services, educational and other professional subject are offered in working towards an associate’s degree.

Because today’s job market is highly competitive and candidates are highly qualified, an associate’s degree is a good degree to have when it comes to entering job market. If a student can earn an associate’s degree to go along with practical experience, he or she will be considered as an asset to any company working in his or her industry.

The highest paying jobs for an associate degree include Nuclear Medicine Technologist, Medical Sonographer, Dental Hygienist, Registered Nurse, Radiologic Technician, Engineering Technician, Paralegal, Court Reporter, Respiratory Therapist, and Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Nowadays, almost each and every company demands someone with good writing skills, excellent English skills, math skills and someone who is adept working with a computer. An associate’s degree helps students to garner the previously mentioned skills to present to a potential employer.

Occasionally, an associate’s degree will offer some type of specialized technical training or a short-term course for certain industries or service organizations. This training can help the student raise his or her confident level while also preparing for a potential career.

In Accordance to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’, a worker who has an associate’s degree earn an averaged extra $6,600 against his or her basic salary in 2001, when compared to workers who are working with a high school diploma but no associate’s degree. In addition, not surprisingly, the report says jobseekers who already had achieved an associate's degree are more likely to get a job than those jobseekers who had no more a high school diploma with an employment rate 30 percent higher for people with associate’s degree compared to those who had only earned a high school diploma.