U.S. News & World Report announces best healthcare jobs in 2026

U.S. News & World Report has released their list of 45 Best Healthcare Jobs in 2026. The list is organized by ranking, according to their website.

The organization scored the occupations based on several criteria:

• How the job will grow in the future
• Salary rates
• How many people currently hold the occupation
• How many people currently hold the occupation for fewer hours than they would like
• Training opportunities
• How safe the job is
• Does the occupation allow for good work-life balance

The top ten healthcare jobs are ranked as follows:

1. Nurse Practitioner
2. Physician Assistant
3. Speech-Language Pathologist
4. Respiratory Therapist
5. Nurse Anesthetist
6. Occupational Therapist
7. Dental Hygienist
8. Psychiatrist
9. Ophthalmic Medical Technician
10. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Clinical Laboratory Technician ranked #40. The profession also ranked #58 on U.S. News & World Report’s Best STEM Jobs list. Clinical Laboratory Technician received a total score of 4.6/10 for Best Healthcare Jobs. The occupation’s work-life balance and employment scores were 6.2 and 6.3, respectively, the highest the job ranked in any category. However, when surveyed about job satisfaction, Clinical Laboratory Technicians reported stress levels above average and job flexibility/work-life balance below average.