Top 100 Best Jobs in The World
There is no one job that is perfect for everyone, but many of the best jobs share a few characteristics: they pay well, continually challenge us, fit our abilities and skills, aren’t overly stressful, give us room to develop in our careers, and offer a happy work-life balance. Job searchers frequently take the demand for a position into account.
These characteristics were utilised by Experts to rank the 100 Best Jobs of 2023. Additionally, you can research the highest paid professions and other, more focused career rankings.
1. Software Developer
Software developers are employed in a range of industries, including computer systems design, manufacturing and finance. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 26.0% employment growth for software developers between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 370,600 jobs should open up.
How to Become a Software Developer?
You can take several different paths to build a career in software development. Here’s how many developers get started:
1. Earn your bachelor’s degree. Software developers often pursue a degree in computer science, where they’ll study computers and programming.
2. Gain hands-on experience. Employers are often drawn to applicants with practical experience. Many students complete an internship or seek out experience beyond the classroom to prepare themselves for a career in software development.
3. Pursue a master’s degree. Though not required, some employers prefer developers with an advanced degree.
“It’s super important to understand CS fundamentals like big O notation, common algorithms, standard languages and technical approaches. You can learn this from school or from apprenticeship, but you need to learn it somehow,” Sam Schillace writes in an email. Schillace is the vice president of engineering for industry solutions at Google. Before that, he co-founded Writely, which he later sold to Google, where it was used to create Google Docs.
So, yes, a bachelor’s degree in computer science is a good idea, but a degree alone won’t help you snag that dream job. “We look at track records as much as school – someone from a great school with no outside coding projects or interesting technical accomplishments is definitely less interesting, and someone who is a rock star coder with no degree but a huge list of achievements would be an easy hire,” Schillace explains.
2. Nurse Practitioner
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education. Extra schooling allows these professionals to take patient histories, perform physical exams, order labs, analyze lab results, prescribe medicines, authorize treatments and educate patients and families on continued care.
Nurse practitioners, also known as advanced practice registered nurses, specialize by patient population, training to work in areas like women’s health or pediatrics. They may also work in research or academia.
Their job sounds similar to a physician’s role, right? So, what’s the difference? The main contrast is the amount of formal education required. Physicians have more training, and their breadth of knowledge and their salaries are usually commensurate with their additional work. However, increasingly – and somewhat controversially – nurse practitioners are providing primary care to patients.
Many nurse practitioners first worked as registered nurses, where their treatment of patients extended to holistic and wellness care; they bring that background to the diagnosis, treatment and management of medical issues.
Nurse practitioners are handsomely paid for their work, with the top 50% taking home six-figure salaries. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 45.7% employment growth for nurse practitioners between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 112,700 jobs should open up.
How Much Does a Nurse Practitioner Make?
Nurse Practitioners made a median salary of $120,680 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $129,680 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $99,540.
How to Become a Nurse Practitioner?
You’ll spend a considerable amount of time in school. All nurse practitioners must first be registered nurses, so a bachelor’s degree, associate degree or other approved diploma is a requirement. Passing the National Council Licensure Examination is also required.
Then, you’ll have to get a master’s or doctorate degree, which can take anywhere from two to four years. Then there’s additional certification to use the APRN title and board certification for your specialty, like women’s health, pediatrics or neonatal, to name a few. And you’ll also have to obtain a state-specific license.
3. Medical and Health Services Manager
Medical and health services managers are the planners, directors and coordinators who work behind the scenes to keep hospitals, nursing homes, group practices and other health care facilities running efficiently. In short, they are super-organized professionals.
Medical and health services managers are usually extremely detail-oriented people with good analytical skills. Because much of their time is spent working with doctors, health insurance representatives and other administrators, they should also have good interpersonal and communication skills. Problem-solving is another part of the job. Technical skills are also a must because these professionals must keep up-to-date with software and electronic health records.
A high demand for more medical and health services managers is driven by the large baby boomer population needing more health care in hospitals, group practices and nursing homes as they age. It’s also driven by the uptick in group practices and the need for managers and administrators to helm these facilities.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 28.3% employment growth for medical and health services managers between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 136,200 jobs should open up.
How Much Does a Medical and Health Services Manager Make?
Medical and Health Services Managers made a median salary of $101,340 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $135,750 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $77,750.
How to Become a Medical and Health Services Manager?
Most medical and health services managers have at least a bachelor’s degree in health administration. However, a master’s degree in an area like public administration, business administration or public health might help open the door to more opportunities.
Certification isn’t a requirement, but it can help demonstrate proficiency to potential employers. Organizations including the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management and the American Health Information Management Association offer various certifications for medical and health services managers.
“Their real-world exposure coupled with professional certification makes them a far better employment candidate than those without,” Karen Blanchette, executive director of the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management, says of professionals who obtain certification.
Prospective medical and health services managers might also need to acquire their licensure, depending on their workplace. For instance, nursing home administrators are required to have licensure, while licensure for those in charge of assisted living facilities will vary by state. Other sectors of medical and health services management don’t require licensure.
4. Physician Assistant
Physician assistants, also known as physician associates, are ubiquitous in the medical world. They use their medical expertise to examine, diagnose and treat patients, working closely with other health care professionals as a team to provide patient care.
Jennifer M. Orozco, president and chair of the American Academy of Physician Associates board for the July 2021 to June 2022 term and director of advanced practice providers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, says physician assistants “help fill in a lot of access gaps across the country.”
“They practice medicine in every health care setting, from hospitals to emergency rooms to private practice to operating suites,” Orozco says. “They take care of a patient in every specialty, from primary care to pediatrics all the way through geriatrics and palliative care.”
While specific duties depend on factors including setting, specialty and state laws, physician assistants can take medical histories, assist in surgeries, conduct physical exams, prescribe medication, perform clinical research and more, according to the AAPA.
“The team-based model is the hallmark of our profession,” Orozco says. “It’s who we are and really it’s about us keeping that commitment to our patients because we know that our patients’ needs are first. And patients have better outcomes when they have a team-based approach to care.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 27.6% employment growth for physician assistants between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 38,400 jobs should open up.
How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make?
Physician Assistants made a median salary of $121,530 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $131,740 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $99,880.
How to Become a Physician Assistant?
While some physician assistants pursue a doctoral degree, the terminal degree to become a PA is a master’s. To gain admission into a physician assistant program in the U.S., students should have a bachelor’s degree with a strong background in science and medical courses, as well as hands-on experience caring for patients.
“PA students, on average, have about 3,000 hours of direct patient care prior to coming to PA school,” Orozco says. “So they’re paramedics, they’re nurses, (or) they could be athletic trainers.”
The amount of hours of clinical experience required for acceptance varies by program and school.
Physician assistant programs typically take about three academic years (roughly 27 months) and include a blend of classroom instruction and more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations, according to the AAPA. After graduation, PA hopefuls must take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Physician assistants need 100 credit hours of continuing education every two years and must take the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam every 10 years to maintain their certification. They must be licensed in the state or territory in which they want to practice and see patients.
Job Satisfaction
Average employees work well into their 60s, so workers might as well have a job that’s enjoyable and a career that’s fulfilling. A job with a low stress level, good work-life balance and solid prospects to improve, get promoted and earn a higher salary would make many employees happy. Here’s how Physician Assistants job satisfaction is rated in terms of upward mobility, stress level and flexibility.
5. Information Security Analyst
Information security analysts are responsible for protecting information in an organization’s computer systems from data breaches and cyberattacks. Since lots of sensitive data is stored electronically these days, including bank account numbers and passwords, these professionals are crucial.
Information security analysts may install and maintain firewalls or data encryption software, develop security standards and best practices to protect sensitive information, identify risks and vulnerabilities in an organization’s network systems, and investigate if a data breach occurs.
“The opportunities are vast right now in the profession,” says Casey Cegielski, a professor at Auburn University who specializes in information security, and a partner at a cybersecurity consulting firm. “Every organization needs security people who have a strong industry understanding and are willing to learn technical skills and continue to grow.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 34.7% employment growth for information security analysts between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 56,500 jobs should open up.
How Much Does an Information Security Analyst Make?
Information Security Analysts made a median salary of $102,600 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $131,340 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $79,400.
How to Become an Information Security Analyst?
You’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree to work in an information security role. According to the BLS, this could be a degree in computer and information technology, or even engineering or math. But Cegielski says employers may prefer candidates with a degree in information systems.
“That surprises many people because they think this role is heavily focused toward computer science,” he says. “In fact, this is a business role first. You are helping secure the business based on the regulations, compliance requirements and strategy of the organization.”
Various cybersecurity certifications are available, and many companies prefer to hire certified security professionals. In addition, information security analysts must always be learning and growing with the ever-changing technology landscape, staying on top of the latest trends, issues and threats.
“I am a huge advocate of continuous education in this profession,” Cegielski says. “The skills and knowledge required to be successful evolve quickly.” He specifically mentions that the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Information Systems Auditor and Certified Information Security Manager “are all very challenging credentials to earn and valuable indicators of a broader understanding of the profession.”
To be Continued…
