A strong economy and unemployment that's at near-record lows have put job seekers in a great position. There's a lot of demand, and that gives people choices.
Despite that, not all professions are equal, and Glassdoor has broken down a number of categories to figure out what the 50 best jobs in the United States are. To do that, the jobs and recruiting site weighed three factors equally: "earning potential based on median annual base salary, job satisfaction rating, and number of job openings," according to a press release.
Medical jobs took eight spots on the list. Image source: Getty Images.
What are the top jobs?
Technology jobs led the way, claiming 19 of the 50 spots. That was followed by healthcare, which held eight spots.
"There's no question that emerging technologies designed to grow and scale business, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation, are having an impact on the types of jobs employers are hiring for across the country," Glassdoor economic research analyst Amanda Stansell wrote in the press release. "As a result, we're seeing a spike in demand for highly skilled workers in 2019."
These are the top 50 jobs:
- Data Scientist
- Number of job openings: 6,510
- Median base salary: $108,000
- Nursing Manager
- Job openings: 13,931
- Median base salary: $83,000
- Marketing Manager
- Job openings: 7,395
- Median base salary: $82,000
- Occupational Therapist
- Job openings: 17,701
- Median base salary: $74,000
- Product Manager
- Job openings: 11,884
- Median base salary: $115,000
- Devops Engineer
- Job openings: 4,657
- Median base salary: $106,000
- Program Manager
- Job openings: 14,753
- Median base salary: $87,000
- Data Engineer
- Job openings: 4,739
- Median base salary: $100,000
- HR Manager
- Job openings: 3,908
- Median base salary: $85,000
- Software Engineer
- Job openings: 49,007
- Median base salary: $104,000
- Mechanical Engineer
- Job openings: 5,949
- Median base salary: $75,000
- Physician Assistant
- Job openings: 9,819
- Median base salary: $105,000
- Sales Manager
- Job openings: 21,695
- Median base salary: $65,000
- Sales Engineer
- Job openings: 3,145
- Median base salary: $90,000
- Operations Manager
- Job openings: 18,311
- Median base salary: $68,000
- Strategy Manager
- Job openings: 2,783
- Median base salary: $140,000
- Security Engineer
- Job openings: 4,683
- Median base salary: $102,000
- Construction Manager
- Job openings: 3,334
- Median base salary: $75,000
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Job openings: 29,467
- Median base salary: $72,000
- Project Manager
- Job openings: 30,107
- Median base salary: $75,000
- Product Designer
- Job openings: 2,158
- Median base salary: $100,000
- Java Developer
- Job openings: 6,636
- Median base salary: $85,000
- Executive Assistant
- Job openings: 4,858
- Median base salary: $60,000
- Electrical Engineer
- Job openings: 7,191
- Median base salary: $77,000
- Finance Manager
- Job openings: 3,747
- Median base salary: $118,000
- Business Analyst
- Job openings: 13,340
- Median base salary: $72,000
- Solutions Architect
- Job openings: 6,969
- Median base salary: $127,000
- Recruiter
- Job openings: 9,782
- Median base salary: $48,000
- Business Development Manager
- Job openings: 6,348
- Median base salary: $80,000
- Dental Hygienist
- Job openings: 2,805
- Median base salary: $67,250
- Data Analyst
- Job openings: 5,456
- Median base salary: $60,000
- Nurse Practitioner
- Job openings: 18,997
- Median base salary: $102,000
- Applications Engineer
- Job openings: 2,591
- Median base salary: $77,000
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Job openings: 1,923
- Median base salary: $91,250
- Risk Manager
- Job openings: 3,924
- Median base salary: $100,500
- Communications Manager
- Job openings: 2,009
- Median base salary: $80,000
- Physical Therapist
- Job openings: 34,899
- Median base salary: $70,000
- Facilities Manager
- Job openings: 3,472
- Median base salary: $65,000
- Systems Engineer
- Job openings: 16,793
- Median base salary: $90,000
- Customer Success Manager
- Job openings: 2,601
- Median base salary: $65,000
- Radiologic Technologist
- Job openings: 6,115
- Median base salary: $48,000
- Restaurant Manager
- Job openings: 21,754
- Median base salary: $49,000
- Software Engineering Manager
- Job openings: 1,445
- Median base salary: $153,000
- Software Developer
- Job openings: 11,833
- Median base salary: $80,000
- Safety Manager
- Job openings: 2,180
- Median base salary: $71,000
- User Experience Designer
- Job openings: 3,333
- Median base salary: $89,000
- Office Manager
- Job openings: 18,681
- Median base salary: $42,000
- Brand Manager
- Job openings: 1,500
- Median base salary: $85,000
- Software Development Manager
- Job openings: 1,178
- Median base salary: $140,000
- Systems Administrator
- Job openings: 8,278
- Median base salary: $68,000
How can job seekers use this?
If you're in college now, this list might help you decide on a career. But it's important to remember that things change. There are 22 jobs on the 2019 list that did not appear on last year's. There are, however, some societal trends that could help someone pick a career that requires years of schooling.
Glassdoor's chief economist predicts that by 2035, there will be labor shortages due to baby boomers leaving the workforce. That, he said, will lead to increased demand for healthcare professionals as an aging population requires more specialized attention.
Current workers can use this list to make lateral career moves. Someone with certain technology skills might be able to retrain for a slightly different career path without years of schooling. In some cases, demand may force employers to be more open-minded in hiring, offering training to nearly qualified candidates who can fill open positions.
It's worth noting that many of these jobs are in management. That means that if you're already working in the field, it probably is smart to make an active effort to gain the skills needed to make the leap from worker to manager (assuming the extra money is worth the added headaches to you).
