Glassdoor is out with its list of the 50 best jobs in America in 2019 and for the fourth year in a row, the top spot goes to data scientist.
No. 2 is nursing manager, and three new job titles in health care appeared on this year’s list: dental hygienist, physical therapist, and radiologic technologist.
Nineteen jobs on Glassdoor’s list are in the tech field; meanwhile, eight jobs are in health care, another industry that’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Ten out of the 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest between 2016 and 2026 are in health care, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, including jobs like physical therapist and physician assistant.
According to the Census Bureau, the number of adults 65 and over is expected to surpass the number of children by 2035. And as these baby boomers age, demand for health care services rises, which creates opportunity for younger workers.
“There will only be increasing demand, so there’s rich opportunity to get really good jobs in the health-care industry, and so it’s definitely an industry we recommend when looking for a job,” says Glassdoor’s career trends analyst Sarah Stoddard.
Here are the health-care jobs that made the list.
2. Nursing Manager
· Job Score: 4.6
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 4.0
· Number of Job Openings: 13,931
· Median Base Salary: $83,000
4. Occupational Therapist
· Job Score: 4.6
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 4.0
· Number of Job Openings: 17,701
· Median Base Salary: $74,000
12. Physician Assistant
· Job Score: 4.3
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.7
· Number of Job Openings: 9,819
· Median Base Salary: $105,000
19. Speech Language Pathologist
· Job Score: 4.3
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.7
· Number of Job Openings: 29,467
· Median Base Salary: $72,000
30. Dental Hygienist
· Job Score: 4.1
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 4.5
· Number of Job Openings: 2,805
· Median Base Salary: $67,250
32. Nurse Practitioner
· Job Score: 4.1
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.5
· Number of Job Openings: 18,997
· Median Base Salary: $102,000
37. Physical Therapist
· Job Score: 4.1
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 3.6
· Number of Job Openings: 34,899
· Median Base Salary: $70,000
41. Radiologic Technologist
· Job Score: 4.0
· Job Satisfaction Rating: 4.0
· Number of Job Openings: 6,115
· Median Base Salary: $48,000
While these jobs offer the best combination of job satisfaction, earning potential and opportunity, according to Glassdoor, working in the health-care sector does present its own set of challenges, says Stoddard, such as pricey grad school and high-stress environments.
“You look at nursing manager for example, they’re often in a hospital setting, which can often be very high stress, long hours and that could be something that’s very difficult but with a 4.0 job satisfaction rating, even with the long hours and high stress, workers in that role are pretty satisfied still,” Stoddard says.
Workers who are serious about exploring the benefits of jobs in health care, but without the stress of the emergency room have other options they can explore such as #19 on the list, speech pathologist.
“Those roles often are in school settings and they’re working with children and with adults on communication. That role actually is typically not in a high-stress ER or nursing position, and so whether you are excited about working at a hospital or working in a school or a different setting, there’s an opportunity in health care for you,” Stoddard says.
Glassdoor weighed three factors in determining a job’s ranking: earning potential (median annual base salary), number of job openings, and overall job satisfaction.
Here’s the full list of the 50 best jobs in the U.S. in 2019.
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