As technical careers continue to open up in the job market, associate's degrees are becoming more valuable. Statistics show how higher education affects income and the broad career options available to students with associate's degrees. Online-Education.net, a one-stop source for students and prospective students exploring e-learning, emphasizes the value of an associate's degree and lists the variety of career options in its latest feature article.

(PRWeb) December 6, 2006 -- "The Versatile Online Associate Degree," the latest feature article on Online-Education.net, demonstrates the need for students to earn associate degrees and the variety of available career options. An online associate's degree is particularly beneficial for the growing number of families with significantly increasing work hours who seek flexibility. The Online-Education.com article highlights several careers available to online associate's degree candidates and discusses the benefits of enrolling in a distance learning program, such as flexibility. Many of these advantages are affirmed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational outlook and income statistics.

Teacher and Online-Education.net columnist Amelia Gray states, "When considering a distance degree, consider the range of opportunities the online associate's degree gives you. Your career possibilities can include anything from business to education to information technology and beyond."

Online-Education.net lists several career possibilities for students earning associate degrees:

•    Forensic science technicians
•    Dental hygienists
•    Paralegals

The Economic Policy Institute reports that family work hours are increasing, specifically for couples ages 25 to 54 with children. The amount of time spent in the paid labor market increased by about 900 hours per year between 1975 and 2000 for families in this group. Statistics show that these extra hours amount to an additional five months of fulltime work for families in the past twenty-five years. An online associate degree can offer flexibility for families with increased work hours and the opportunity to work in a variety of fields.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports promising job outlooks for many of the career options listed in the CareerSchoolDirectory.com article. A career as a dental hygienist is one of the fastest growing occupations, with an anticipated 43 percent growth rate over the next eight years.

Forensic science technicians and paralegals follow with an estimated 36 percent and 30 percent growth rate, respectively.

Gray continues, "Online associate degrees are the ideal degree for working professionals who don't have the time to quit their current jobs because they offer flexibility, versatility, and cost less money."

In addition to broad career options, an online associate degree can provide workers with higher wages. BLS figures show fulltime workers 25 years of age and older earn two and a half times more in median weekly earnings with a college degree than workers who have not completed high school.

Online-Education.net (http://Online-Education.net) is a one-stop source for students and prospective students. In addition to interactive career coaching, the site offers information on courses, online degree programs, and computer training.

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