Software Developer holds onto No. 1, while health care and business vocations dominate the list
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today unveiled the 2019 Best Jobs. The rankings offer a look at the best jobs across 15 categories – from best-paying jobs to sectors such as business and technology – to help job seekers at every level achieve their career goals. The rankings take into account the most important aspects of a job, including growth potential, work-life balance and salary.
For the second year in a row, software developer takes the No. 1 spot as the Best Job overall. Statistician ranks at No. 2, followed by physician assistant at No. 3 and dentist at No. 4. Occupations in health care continue to show promise due to a combination of high salaries and low unemployment rates, taking 44 of the 100 Best Jobs and the majority of the Best-Paying Jobs. With an average salary of $265,990, anesthesiologist tops the list, followed by surgeon, oral and maxillofacial surgeon and obstetrician and gynecologist, respectively.
“Health care occupations continue to dominate the U.S. News 2019 Best Jobs rankings, with demand in the field highest for workers to fill roles such as nurse practitioner, physician assistant and physical therapist,” said Rebecca Koenig, careers reporter at U.S. News. “That’s good news for students and career changers, because it takes less school time and tuition money to prepare for those positions than it does to become a physician or surgeon.”
Nearly a decade after the end of the Great Recession, unemployment in the U.S. has reached historic lows. With an overwhelming need for labor, companies have started relaxing their standards and expediting their hiring processes, giving workers the upper hand in the job market.
“Wages aren’t the only factor trending in employees’ favor this year,” said Kim Castro, executive editor at U.S. News. “To lure and retain workers, companies are also boosting the benefits they provide, offering flexible hours and remote work opportunities while investing in individuals’ personal and professional development – all reasons why software developer continues to top the Best Jobs list. Organizations are focused more on hiring workers who they can train rather than finding the ‘perfect candidate,’ giving more room for gig workers and freelancers.”
The 2019 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 also compiles the Best STEM Jobs.
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.
To follow the conversation on social media, explore Facebook and Twitter using #BestJobs. U.S. News will also host its “Workforce of Tomorrow” summit May 22, 2019 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Committed to examining and advancing solutions for a STEM skilled workforce, the U.S. News STEM Solutions Presents: Workforce of Tomorrow conference is the preeminent conference for leaders in education, policy and workforce development. To learn more, visit USNewsSTEMsolutions.com.
2019 U.S. News Best Jobs Rankings
*See the full list of the Best Jobs here.
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1. Software Developer 2. Statistician 3. Physician Assistant 4. Dentist 5. Orthodontist (tie) 5. Nurse Anesthetist (tie) |
1. Anesthesiologist 2. Surgeon 3. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon 4. Obstetrician and Gynecologist 5. Orthodontist |
1. Physician Assistant 2. Dentist 3. Orthodontist 4. Nurse Anesthetist 5. Nurse Practitioner |
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1. Statistician 2. Mathematician 3. Accountant 4. Financial Manager 5. Medical and Health Services Manager |
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About U.S. News & World Report
Celebrating its 85th year, U.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars and Civic, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. 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.
