The 12 Best Jobs in Health Care for 2022

SLPs, other allied health jobs rank high on U.S. News list

U.S. News & World Report recently published their annual list of the Best Jobs in America, including an occupational subset of the Best Health Care Jobs for 2022. 

The researchers noted that health care practitioners are seeing tremendous growth in opportunities, which is one of the key factors in their rankings. Compensation is also important, but the highest paid practitioners—including physicians and surgeons—are not usually the ones that top the list of the best health care jobs. Careers are ranked based on an overall score which combines multiple components into a single weighted average score between 0 and 10.

The overall score is calculated from seven component measures:

1. Median salary
2. Unemployment rate
3. 10-year growth volume
4. 10-year growth percentage
5. Future job prospects
6. Stress level
7. Work–life balance

So, where did your allied health job rank on this year’s list of the best jobs in health care? Some allied professions jumped several rankings this year, due to healthy employment projections and other changes in the industry.

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The 12 Best Health Care Jobs, according to U.S. News*

1. Nurse Practitioner

            Median salary: $111,680

            Unemployment rate: 1.2%

             Projected growth in NP jobs from 2020 to 2030: 52.2%

2. Physician Assistant

              Median salary: $115,390

              Unemployment rate: 1.4%

              Projected growth in PA jobs, 2020-2030: 31.0%

3. Speech-language Pathologist

              Median salary: $80,480

              Unemployment rate: 2.5%

              Projected growth in SLP jobs, 2020-2030: 28.7%

4. Physician

              Median salary: $208,000

              Unemployment rate: 0.7%

              Projected growth in physician jobs, 2020-2030: 4.5%

5. Registered Nurse

              Median salary: $75,330

              Unemployment rate: 2.4%

              Projected growth in RN jobs, 2020-2030: 9.0%

6. Respiratory Therapist

              Median salary: $62,810

              Unemployment rate: 1.4%

              Projected growth in RT jobs, 2020-2030: 23.0%

7. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

              Median salary: $208,000

              Unemployment rate: 0.7%

              Projected growth in these surgery jobs, 2020-2030: 7.7%

8. Nurse Anesthetist

              Median salary: $183,580

              Unemployment rate: 0.4%

              Projected growth in CRNA jobs, 2020-2030: 12.6%

9. Veterinarian

              Median salary: $99,250

              Unemployment rate: 0.8%

              Projected growth in veterinary jobs, 2020-2030: 16.8%

10. Physical Therapist

              Median salary: $91,010

              Unemployment rate: 6.7%

              Projected growth in PT jobs, 2020-2030: 20.5%

11. Occupational Therapist

              Median salary: $86,280

              Unemployment rate: 3.5%

              Projected growth in OT jobs, 2020-2030: 17.5%

12. Pediatrician

              Median salary: $208,000

              Unemployment rate: 0.4%

              Projected growth in pediatrician jobs, 2020-2030: 4.5%

*Ranked by U.S. News, using data on salaries and employment from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Check out U.S. News Best Health Care Jobs for 2022 for their complete list of the 30 best jobs in health care and full details on the rankings.

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Additional Allied Travel Resources

While you continue your search for the perfect allied healthcare position, AMN Healthcare provides great resources to keep your career moving in the right direction. Begin the application process now, and then learn more about how AMN Healthcare can help you keep your career on the move.

• EAP: Our allied travelers gain access to a valuable set of Employee Assistance Program benefits.
• Allied Travel Jobs by Specialty: Explore allied jobs and learn about hourly salaries and the benefits of working in travel jobs.
• Search All Allied Jobs: Uncover new possibilities in your allied career by exploring both short and long-term options.
• Allied Healthcare Jobs: Learn how we can help move your career in amazing directions, both professionally and geographically by exploring opportunities by each state.
• More Allied Resources: Use the content here to learn everything you need to know about our allied recruitment process, including information on salary and benefits.