Physician Assistant, Software Developer Top 2021 'Best Jobs' List According To U.S. News & World Report
(CBS Local)- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage around the globe, the importance of health care professionals has become ever more apparent. That's why it should come as no surprise that four of the top five jobs on U.S. News And World Reports 2021 Top 100 best jobs list are in the health care field.
Physician's Assistant ranks as the No. 1 job on the Top 100, with Nurse Practitioner, Medical and Health Services Manager and Physicians taking the No. 3, 4, and 5 spots. Sandwiched in between those is Software Developer, an area that continues to be crucial in a digital age in which everything is transitioning online.
"One thing the global pandemic has reinforced is the need and value of health care professionals," says Antonio Barbera, consumer advice editor at U.S. News in a press release. "This year's rankings affirm that it is a good career sector for many, with typically high median salaries and low unemployment rates."
Health care jobs also ranked highly in the publication's best jobs paying over $100,000 rankings. 16 of the top 25 jobs on that list are also in the healthcare sector. For reference, physician assistant ranks 21st with a median salary of $112,260, nurse practitioner is 22nd with a median salary of $109,280, physician is eighth with a median salary of $206,500 and medical and health services manager ranks 25th with a median salary of just over $100,000.
The Top 100 Best Jobs rankings look at jobs across 17 sectors including health care, business and technology taking into account various aspects of the jobs including including growth potential, work-life balance and salary. In order to calculate the rankings for their best jobs list, U.S. News uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to find jobs with the highest hiring demand. The jobs are then scored based on seven different components, the methodology for which can be found here.
