Health care jobs now in high demand; vets, nurses, radiologists top list

This marks the second consecutive year that health care leads the ranking of top jobs.

CNBC news cites that the ranking is based on job postings meeting three criteria: a minimum salary of $75,000, a 20% growth in postings over the past three years, and the availability of remote or hybrid roles for at least 5% of listings. Healthcare continues to dominate the list, outpacing other industries.

Strong job growth in the health sector

The demand for healthcare workers has surged, with the U.S. economy adding 902,000 healthcare and social assistance jobs in 2024, more than double the number of government jobs added during the same period, according to CNBC.

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The Bureau of Labour Statistics projects that healthcare employment will grow much faster than the average for all U.S. jobs through 2033.

Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, explained the ongoing growth, saying,

“It’s extremely robust and consistent, and we don’t see any slowdown at all.”  

Factors like an aging population and retirements in the workforce are contributing to the sector’s expansion.

High salaries and barriers to entry

As health care demand increases, so do salaries. Reports inform that Radiologists, for example, earn a median annual salary of $385,000, the highest-paying job on Indeed’s list. Physicians, who rank second, make around $225,000 a year.

Pollak noted that many health care jobs are ‘surprisingly high-paying’ due to strong labour demand. However, she pointed out that roles like radiology require extensive education, with a minimum of 13 years of schooling.

Impact of potential policy changes on healthcare demand

The healthcare sector’s growth could be influenced by changes in government policy. CNBC news cites a scenario that states that if President-elect Donald Trump’s administration cuts federal Medicaid spending or allows Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire, healthcare demand may decrease.

• Conversely, mass deportations could worsen labour shortages, increasing wages in the sector, as immigrants made up 18% of the U.S. healthcare workforce in 2021, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
• For those looking for high-paying jobs without long educational paths, Indeed also suggests sales representative roles, which offer salaries up to $182,000 annually and require a high school diploma along with relevant skills.

The healthcare sector remains a top option for job seekers in 2025, offering stable and high-paying opportunities in an industry with strong and sustained growth.