Washington, D.C. – U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today announced the 2023 Best Jobs. The rankings offer a look at the best jobs across 17 categories – from sectors such as business, health care and technology – to help job seekers at every level achieve their career goals. Outcomes take into account the most important aspects of a job, including growth potential, work-life balance and salary.
While nearly 40% of the top 100 Best Jobs are in health care or health care support roles, a technology job – software developer – captured the No. 1 spot this year.
“Software developers are becoming increasingly critical for the growth and sustained success of businesses across industries,” says Janica Ingram, careers editor at U.S. News. “The 10-year outlook for the occupation is strong and expected to grow at an above-average rate. It is predicted to be in high demand, because of the rising number of products and services that leverage software. Low unemployment and a high median salary also contribute to the appeal of this career.”
Following software developer in the overall rankings is nurse practitioner at No. 2, medical and health services manager at No. 3 and physician assistant at No. 4. In addition, pilot debuted in the top 50 this year at No. 47 due to its higher scoring in work-life balance, salary and future prospects.
“It is unsurprising that jobs in health care continue to dominate the Best Jobs rankings. This year’s cold and flu season reiterates the everpresent human need for health care practitioners,” says Ingram. “The higher-than-average salaries, low unemployment rates and strong future prospects for many of these roles certainly reflect that.”
Health care jobs also continue to rank high among the Careers With the Most Job Security, with the industry capturing 13 of that list’s top 20 jobs. Nurse practitioner captured No. 1, while dentist took the No. 3 spot, physician assistant landed at No. 4 and orthodontist came in at No. 5.
The 2023 Best Jobs rankings offer job seekers detailed information on training and education requirements, median salary, and job satisfaction across diverse sectors, including social services, education, construction, and creative and media. For individuals interested in pursuing science, technology, engineering and math, also known as the STEM fields, U.S. News compiles the Best STEM Jobs. Best Jobs Without a College Degree and Highest Paying Jobs Without a Degree are also offered for those who did not attend or finish college.
To calculate Best Jobs, U.S. News draws data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand. Jobs are then scored using seven component measures: 10-year growth volume, 10-year growth percentage, median salary, employment rate, future job prospects, stress level and work-life balance. For further details on how the rankings were calculated, see the methodology.
2023 U.S. News Best Jobs Rankings
*See the full list of the Best Jobs here.
Software Developer
Nurse Practitioner
Medical and Health Services Manager
Physician Assistant
Information Security Analyst
Software Developer
Information Security Analyst
IT Manager
Web Developer
Computer Systems Analyst
Nurse Practitioner
Physician Assistant
Physical Therapist
Dentist
Veterinarian
Medical and Health Services Manager
Financial Manager
Market Research Analyst
Logistician
Management Analyst
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Source: US News