Education pays. Not only will you earn more, you’ll also be less vulnerable to rising unemployment.

And you don’t need a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree to up your ante.

According to BLS, in 2008, workers over 25 with a 2-year Associate’s Degree earned, on average, $736 a week. Compare that to high school graduates, who made just $591. The unemployment rate for this group is also 2% higher – a very significant gap when it comes to unemployment figures.

A 2-year degree – either online or on site – will put you on your way to a rewarding career as one of the following:

Sous Chef
A sous chef, or sub chef, is the second-in-command and runs the kitchen in the absence of the chef de cuisine and executive chef. In a large establishment, the sous chef may be in charge of food production for one kitchen; in a smaller operation, the sous chef ensures that all food production workers are performing their duties as prescribed by the quality standards of the executive chef.

Salary: $34,549
Degree Required: Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts

Personal Chef
A personal chef is not a private chef! While a private chef is employed by one individual or family at a time, a personal chef serves several clients, usually one per day, and provides multiple meals that are custom-designed for the clients’ particular requests and requirements. These meals are packaged and stored, so that the clients may enjoy them at their leisure in the future.

Median Salary: $47,501
Degree Required: Associate’s in Culinary Arts

Pastry Chef
Are you especially creative in the kitchen? Do you love the science of baking? And possibly, do you have a bit of a sweet tooth? Well, being a pastry chef might be a great next step for you! Whether focused on creating baked goods for a grocery store, restaurant, or a neighborhood bakery, or concentrated on creating artistic desserts for a fine dining establishment, a pastry chef job is rewarding—and certainly sweet!

Median Salary: $37,898
Degree required: Associate’s in Pastry Arts