Respiratory Therapist a 2026 ‘Best Job’

For the third consecutive year, nurse practitioner topped US News & World Report’s list of the 100 Best Jobs, while respiratory therapist ranked #12 overall and #4 in healthcare careers. RT also ranked #8 in STEM careers.

Several other healthcare jobs also made the top 100 list, including (#5) physician assistant, (#6) medical and health services manager, (#9) speech-language pathologist, (#14) nurse anesthetist, (#20) occupational therapist, and (#31) registered nurse.

With a median salary of over $80,000, the RT profession was highlighted as “both challenging and gratifying,” requiring only an associate’s degree for entry, and poised for significant job growth. According to US News, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 12.1% growth for RTs between 2024 and 2034, or an additional 16,800 jobs in the next decade.

The rankings offer a look at the best jobs across 17 categories, including healthcare, engineering and business. The rankings take into account the most important aspects of a job, including growth potential, work-life balance, job safety, employment rate and salary. 

According to US News, nurse practitioner held onto the top spot for the third year due to the continuous need for professionals in healthcare roles.

“After a year of cross-industry layoffs and job market uncertainty, the 2026 Best Jobs rankings offer a resource for consumers to plan the best career moves for them,” says Carly Chase, vice president of Careers at US News. “Careers in STEM remain strong in the 2026 rankings due to the persistent need for medical professionals. Nurse Practitioner maintains its No. 1 spot, due to immediate need, flexibility and strong 10-year outlook.”

Following nurse practitioner in the overall ranking is (#2) financial manager, (#3) IT manager, (#4) information security analyst, and (#5) physician assistant.

To determine the Best Jobs, US News draws data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand. Jobs are then scored using five component measures: future prospects, wage potential, employment, job safety and stability, and work-life balance. For further details on how the rankings were calculated, see the methodology.

Top 100 Best Jobs (overall, 2026)

1. Nurse Practitioner
2. Financial Manager
3. IT Manager
4. Information Security Analyst
5. Physician Assistant
6. Medical and Health Services Manager
7. Software Developer
8. Data Scientist
9. Speech-Language Pathologist
10. Pilot
11. Actuary
12. Respiratory Therapist

Read the full list of top 100 jobs overall here.

Best Healthcare Jobs (2026)

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. Opthalmic Medical Technician
10. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Read the full list of best healthcare jobs here.

Best STEM Jobs (2026)

1. Nurse Practitioner
2. IT Manager
3. Information Security Analyst
4. Physician Assistant
5. Software Developer
6. Data Scientist
7. Actuary
8. Respiratory Therapist
9. Nurse Anesthetist
10. Industrial Engineer

Read the full list of best STEM jobs here.