Associate degree jobs that pay well

"As the market is bouncing back, we're seeing more of our grads get hired in the trades areas," says Wendy Cullen, vice president of employer development for Everest College. "In the trades we offer, electrical technicians have the highest increase in earnings over a 15-year period. There are a lot of opportunities for them right now."

Aside from earning a decent wage -- the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median electrician salary is $46,426 per year -- future electricians can frequently opt out of paying tuition by landing one of the many apprenticeships available in the field. In addition to sidestepping $20,000-plus in student loan debt that the average four-year grad takes on, electrical technicians who complete a four-year paid apprenticeship program enter the field with experience and a bank account that's in the black.