The job market was slow last year, with one exception: health care. So it’s no surprise that this sector makes up the majority of Indeed’s latest report on the best jobs of 2026.
Laura Ulrich, director of North American research at Indeed Hiring Lab, said in a release that while healthcare-related occupations account for only 11% of total employment in the U.S., they account for 72% of job growth in the broader market.
Cardiac medical technicians were named the number one best job this year due to their six-figure annual median salary and high growth in both wages and positions over the past three years. In fact, researchers point out that the increased demand reflects chronic health conditions, an aging population, and heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC.
The report ranked jobs based on salary, demand, wage growth, son’s Indeed listing, and flexibility factors such as the ability to work from home.
Here are Indeed’s top 10 job openings this year.
1. Cardiac medical technology
Estimated median annual salary: $133,907 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 224 Wage growth since 2022: 34% Job growth since 2022: 34% Share of remote posts: 2%
2. Truck driver owner operator
Estimated median annual salary: $160,000 Share of jobs per million on Indeed: 7,529 Wage growth since 2022: -5% Job growth since 2022: 39% Share of remote jobs: 1%
3. Nursing practitioners
Estimated median annual salary: $143,183 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 2,874 Wage growth since 2022: 10% Job growth since 2022: -2% Share of remote posts: 10%
4. Speech therapist
Estimated median annual salary: $109,431 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 191 Wage growth since 2022: 14% Job growth since 2022: 11% Share of remote jobs: 8%
5. Qualified professional counselor
Estimated median annual salary: $107,812 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 286 Wage growth since 2022: 33% Job growth since 2022: -17% Share of remote posts: 32%
6. Certified clinical social worker
Estimated median annual salary: $119,618 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 1,016 Wage growth since 2022: 20% Job growth since 2022: -32% Share of remote jobs: 32%
7. Physical therapist
Estimated median annual salary: $110,848 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 6,299 Wage growth since 2022: 8% Job growth since 2022: 0% Share of remote posts: 2%
8. Occupational therapist
Estimated median annual salary: $105,580 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 4,147 Wage growth since 2022: 6% Job growth since 2022: 13% Share of remote jobs: 3%
9. Radiation therapist
Estimated median annual salary: $115,923 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 239 Wage growth since 2022: 26% Job growth since 2022: 8% Share of remote posts: 3%
10. Data Scientist
Estimated median annual salary: $115,079 Share of jobs per million people on Indeed: 958 Wage growth since 2022: -3% Job growth since 2022: 15% Share of remote posts: 35%
Overall, healthcare, technology, and skilled trades jobs make up the majority of Indeed’s 50 best jobs with high pay and career longevity.
Experts say that regardless of economic conditions, health care jobs will remain in demand because they are an essential need to support an aging society as well as the general population. Pew Research Center estimates that the number of centenarians in the United States will quadruple over the next 30 years.
Some of Indeed’s best jobs in the healthcare field have relatively low barriers to entry, such as sign language interpreters (#11), radiology technicians (#18), and massage therapists (#44), as they typically require a certificate or associate’s degree to begin the job.
Other healthcare roles require specialized training that requires human-to-human interaction, such as speech therapists (4th place), occupational therapists (8th place), and music therapists (36th place). In fact, researchers say this signals a broader shift towards specialization in care-based jobs.
Registered Nurse (#22) is one of the most in-demand roles, with 12,330 jobs posted per 1 million postings on Indeed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be an average of 189,100 registered nurse job openings each year over a 10-year period. The field is expected to grow to 3.3 million RNs by 2032.
Technology jobs such as solutions architect (20th), SAP consultant (24th), and enterprise architect (41st) also offer high six-figure salaries and are likely to be able to work remotely, but have fallen down the rankings due to negative wage growth and job growth over the past three years.
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