Medical Field Associate Degrees that Work
You don’t need ten years of schooling to get a job in healthcare. These three jobs are available with an associate’s degree.
Some jobs only need two years of study to develop the proper skills and enter the work force. Three in particular only require an associates degree: dental hygienist, registered nurse and x-ray technician.
Registered Nurse
Credit: Tony Alter, CC BY 2.0
RNs are defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as people who take care of patients, coordinate the care of patients, and educate patients on their medical conditions. A good Associate’s Degree in Nursing program prepares you to take the national licensing exam and start competing for jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median pay for a registered nurse at $65,470 per year, or
$31.48 per hour.
- Search SUNY Nursing Associate’s Degree Programs (Fall 2015)
- View Nursing Jobs Available
Dental Hygienist
Credit: East Midtown Partnership, CC BY SA 2.0
It’s a simplification, but dental hygienists are basically the nurses of dentistry. Their duties include cleaning teeth, administering x-rays, applying fluoride, making dental impressions, and so on.
Median pay for a dental hygienist is $70,210 per year, or $33.75 per hour.
- Search SUNY Dental Hygienist Associate’s Degree Programs (Fall 2015)
- View Dental Hygienist Jobs Available
X-Ray Technician
Credit: Trace Meek, CC BY 2.0
Not limited to X-Ray technology, these technicians use MRIs, sonograms, CT scanners, fluoroscopes, and more. This a specialized, technical degree which prepares you to operate scanning equipment and associated technologies, not to be confused with a patient care-facing program.
Median pay for Radiologic and MRI Technologists starts at $55,910 per year, or $26.88 per hour.
- Search SUNY X-Ray Technician Associate’s Degree Programs (Fall 2015)
- View X-Ray Technician Jobs Available
