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For the second year in a row, nurse practitioners took the No. 1 spot in the “Best Jobs” rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

This was not the only healthcare job in the top five, with physician assistants (PAs), also known as physician associates, coming in at No. 3.

“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,” said Carly Chase, vice president of careers at U.S. News, 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.”

Jason Prevelige, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, president and board chair of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), weighed in on the rankings, noting that “this honor highlights the PA profession’s continued growth and leadership in expanding access to care and addressing health inequities nationwide.”

“This recognition will surely inspire the PA community to keep pushing boundaries, innovating, and driving progress as leaders in healthcare,” he added.

Additional healthcare-related roles in the top 10 were medical and health services managers, which took the No. 7 spot, and speech-language pathologists, which took the No. 9 spot.

Notably, physician jobs were further down in the overall list, and outside the top 10 for the healthcare-specific rankings. The highest-placing physician roles in the overall rankings were anesthesiologists and psychiatrists at No. 33 and No. 34, respectively.

In detailing its methodology for the “Best Jobs” rankings, U.S. News explained that although “career satisfaction is subjective,” some qualities are “universally desired.” Overall, employees “tend to prefer higher salaries, ample job opportunities, and avenues for promotion.”

To determine the rankings, the outlet said that it gathered data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to “identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand.” These roles were then scored using the measures of future prospects (30%), wage potential (25%), employment (20%), job safety and stability (15%), and work-life balance (10%).

There were also individual components that comprised each of these measures. For instance, wage potential consisted of median wage (40%), wage range (40%), and wage growth (20%), while job safety and stability consisted of union affiliation (30%), injuries (30%), working conditions (20%), and healthcare (20%).

Below are the top 10 jobs in the healthcare– and healthcare support-specific rankings, along with their median salary.

Healthcare

1. Nurse practitioner: $126,260
2. Physician assistant: $130,020
3. Speech-language pathologist: $89,290
4. Veterinarian: $119,100
5. Nurse anesthetist: $212,650
6. Veterinary technologist and technician: $43,740
7. Physical therapist: $99,710
8. Occupational therapist: $96,370
9. Respiratory therapist: $77,960
10. Dental hygienist: $87,530

Healthcare Support

1. Medical and health services manager: $110,680
2. Home health aide: $33,530
3. Massage therapist: $55,310
4. Physical therapist assistant: $64,080
5. Medical assistant: $42,000
6. Occupational therapy assistant: $67,010
7. Dental assistant: $46,540
8. Medical secretary: $40,640
9. Phlebotomist: $41,810
10. Nursing aide: $38,200