By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

It is that time of year again, when the U.S. News & World Report comes out with its annual list of the best jobs in the country, and once again, Physician Assistant and Physical Therapist are at the top of the list, while Medical and Health Services Manager tops the Business list. 

“The U.S. economy should see 8.3 million jobs added over the next 10 years, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, particularly in the leisure and hospitality and health care and social assistance sectors,” the magazine reported.

“This year, expect leisure and hospitality, which experienced steep job losses during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, to see the fastest employment growth among all sectors,” it continued. “Health care and social assistance should also get a boost due to increased demand for elder care in the growing 65-and-older population, while the tech industry will see greater demand for telework support, such as computing infrastructure and IT security.”

In the Best Jobs category, Physician Assistant ranked No. 4, while Physical Therapy was No. 6. In Best Health Care Jobs, PA was No. 2, followed by PT at No. 3. Others on the list included Speech Language Pathologist, as well as Dietitian and Nutritionist.

In the Best Business Jobs list, Medical and Health Services Manager ranks No. 1.

How does the magazine come up with its rankings?

“No single job suits all of us, but many of the best ones have a few attributes in common,” the story explains. “They pay well, challenge us year after year, match our talents and skills, aren’t too stressful, offer room to advance throughout our careers, and provide a satisfying work-life balance.”

The list also includes these factors:

• Median salary
• Unemployment rate
• 10-year growth volume
• 10-year growth percentage
• Future job prospects
• Stress level
• Work-life balance

“Some career qualities are universally desired,” the magazine reports. “Workers tend to prefer higher salaries, ample open positions and opportunities for promotion.”

U.S. News & World Report Best Jobs:

No. 4: Physician Assistant
No. 6: Physical Therapist
No. 26: Medical Scientist
No. 31: Speech Language Pathologist
No. 76: Dietitian and Nutritionist

U.S. News & World Report Best Health Care Jobs:

No. 2: Physician Assistant
No. 3: Physical Therapist
No. 11: Speech Language Pathologist
No. 21: Dietician and Nutritionist

U.S. News & World Report Best Business Jobs:

No. 1: Medical and Health Services Manager