Jobs in the healthcare field topped U.S. News & World Report's ranking of 2015's 100 best jobs.
In the overall list, which factored stress levels, growth volume and rate, median pay, employment rate and future prospects, healthcare jobs took five spots in the publication's top 10. The top healthcare jobs in hospitals and healthcare systems were:
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Nurse practitioner, number two overall, a position which has high levels of autonomy, a median salary of $92,670 and projected growth of 37,000 new jobs by 2022.
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Physician, number four overall, due in large part to significant projected growth in job prospects over the next 10 years because of a looming physician shortage. Not only will the position grow by 123,300 new job openings by 2022, it comes with high salaries, with general internists earning a median salary of $186,850, according to U.S. News. Median salaries vary geographically, with the highest-paying areas including Wilmington, North Carolina; Tallahassee, Florida; and Wichita, Kansas.
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Physical therapist, number six overall, which is projected to grow 36 percent by 2022. The job's median salary is $81,030, with those working in home healthcare, nursing homes or schools earning the most.
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Registered nurse (RN), ranked at number nine, a role which FierceHealthcare previously reported will be in greater demand as healthcare shifts to a team-based model. The job's median salary is $66,220, but RNs also have higher median salaries depending on geographical area, with those in metropolitan California areas likely to earn higher salaries, according to the report.
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Physician assistant, ranked at number 10, which has an extremely low 1.4 percent employment rate and is expected to grow by 33,300 new jobs within the next seven years. The median annual salary in 2013 was $92,970.
Jobs in the healthcare sector also rank high in a list of the lowest-stress jobs, according to a recent report. For example, medical records technicians were ranked as the fourth least-stressful jobs due to a combination of quick growth and quiet working conditions, FierceHealthcare previously reported.
To learn more:
- read the rankings
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