Nurse practitioner jobs pay well and are in high demand, earning them the top spot in a new US News & World Report ranking of the top 100 jobs in the country for 2025.

This marks the second consecutive year that the need for professionals in healthcare roles resulted in nurse practitioners leading the list.

“Careers in healthcare and healthcare support continue to show promise in the 2025 rankings due to a steady need for medical professionals that aid in the health and well-being of the population,” Carly Chase, vice president of careers at US News, said in a statement. “Nurse practitioner maintains the No. 1 spot as this year’s best job because of its critical role in health management, the flexibility it provides and its strong 10-year career outlook.”

US News used criteria such as wages, challenging enough, not too stressful, room for advancement, striking a work-life balance and whether a job is in demand to determine the best jobs out there this year. 

Physicians assistant jobs ranked third overall, and they “help fill in a lot of access gaps across the country,” American Academy of Physician Associates Chief Medical Officer Jennifer M. Orozco, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, said.

Other positions that can be found in long-term care and are on the list include:

• Speech pathologists, No. 9

• Physical therapist, No. 21
• Occupational therapist, No 23
• Respiratory therapist, No. 25
• Home health aide, No. 38 spot.
• Pharmacist, No. 52
• Registered nurse, No. 54
• Physical therapy assistants, No. 64
• Licensed practical nurse/licensed vocational nurse, No. 88
• Occupational therapy assistant, No. 97

To determine the top 100 jobs, US News used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand. 

New list: Best companies supporting family caregivers

Separately, US News has partnered with the Milken Institute and SHRM to produce its first-ever list of the companies it deems best at supporting family caregivers.

The list includes 80 public companies across 29 industries. The ratings, according to US News, are “a coalescence of data and expertise, including from, US News, the Milken Institute’s Future of Aging, Hopkins Business of Health Initiative and SHRM.”

“Many employees across the workforce juggle heavier personal responsibilities on top of their day-to-day professional duties,” Chase said. The new ratings, she added, “provide a look at top workplaces that make it easier for employees to manage their family care and professional commitments so they can contribute their best selves to the company’s success.”

Milken Institute Future of Aging Managing Director Diane Ty said that “[a]s caregiving demands grow, our vision for this list underscores the critical role of employers in fostering supportive workplaces.”