Why Nursing Still Ranks Among America’s Best Jobs
Each year U.S. News & World Report publishes its annual 100 Best Jobs list, ranking careers across every industry based on job growth, median salary, employment outlook, job stability, work-life balance and overall demand. Across the entire list, nursing careers continue to stand out not just as meaningful work but as ones with strong demand and competitive compensation.
At the top of the list is nurse practitioner, earning the number one best overall job designation. This is due to a combination of rapid growth, strong pay, and ongoing demand for skilled clinicians. According to the rankings, nurse practitioners have a median salary of around $126,260 per year and are projected to see about 135,500 new jobs added over the next decade as health systems expand and primary care needs rise. Employment for nurse practitioners is projected to grow at a rate much higher than the average across all occupations.
Registered nurses remain a high-ranking profession on the list. While U.S. News places them lower on the overall 100 Best Jobs list than nurse practitioners, their median salary sits near $81,220, and tens of thousands of RNs are expected to be needed in the coming years as health care demand continues.
Nurse anesthetists also appear on the list of high-ranking health care jobs. They typically earn significantly higher pay than average nursing roles, with many sources reporting median salaries above $180,000 to $200,000 annually depending on the data source and the state. Employment for CRNAs and similar advanced roles is projected to grow as surgical and procedural care continues across settings.
The Best Jobs list also highlights that it is not only median salary that makes a job “good.” Growth potential matters just as much. For example, nurse practitioners not only earn a strong median pay but also have one of the fastest projected growth rates, with expected increases well above the national average. This means more positions opening, more geographic opportunities, and often more negotiating power for new and experienced nurses.
When the U.S. News ranking is broken down into the top five jobs overall across all industries, nurse practitioner sits at number one. Other roles in that top group include physician assistant, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, and veterinarian, all of which have high median salaries and promising job outlooks. This mix shows that health care jobs dominate the top tier because they balance meaningful impact with financial rewards and stability.
Nursing remains a stable career with dependable work opportunities and above-average compensation. Advanced practice roles like nurse practitioner and nurse anesthetist offer even higher earning potential and rapid growth, making them especially strong options for long-term planning. Many RNs report seeing strong hiring activity even in slower job markets. Advanced practice nurses talk about mobility, specialty choice, and leadership opportunities that go far beyond traditional bedside work. Nursing remains demanding, complex, and emotionally taxing. However, the steady demand, competitive salaries, flexible career options, and sense of purpose help explain why it continues to offer both financial opportunity and meaningful impact.