These Are the Best Jobs for 2016
Healthcare comes out on top in a major way in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of the best jobs, just released for 2016. Nine out of the top 10 are in the healthcare field (the holdout is computer systems analyst at No. 3).
Healthcare jobs dominated the list for a variety of reasons, including low unemployment in the field, good pay, and the ability to achieve work-life balance. This category also manages a complete sweep of the top 10 best paying jobs, with top spot going to anesthesiologist—a gig that nets an average $246,320.
Of course, not everyone has the time, means, and brains for med school, but a number of the top paying jobs don't require advanced degrees. Demand for healthcare support jobs, for example, is strong because the nation's huge population of baby boomers is aging and requires more health services. The top 10 also includes nursing and medical assisting jobs that don't take an eight-year commitment or a six-figure student loan bill.
Outside of the healthcare sector, the top paying job is marketing manager at No. 13, with a median salary of $127,130. The tech industry is another area U.S. News flags as being especially good for job seekers: It's experiencing faster than average growth, which bodes well both for salaries and opportunities. Programmers, software developers, and support personnel are all in high demand.
As the overall labor market improves and the employment picture brightens, U.S. News added half a dozen specific industry rankings to its roster: engineering, science, maintenance and repair, education, health care support, and sales and marketing.
Here are the top 10 jobs for 2016: For more details and the top 100 list, see the full report here:
- Orthodontist
- Dentist
- Computer Systems Analyst
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Physician Assistant
- Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatrist
- Pediatrician
- Anesthesiologist
- Obstetrician and Gynecologist