The 10 best U.S. jobs of 2023, according to new research—many pay over $100,000
2023 is kicking off with a tight job market, despite recent headlines of layoffs and hiring freezes.
In December, the unemployment rate edged down to 3.5%, the lowest it's been in 50 years, while demand for labor remains high — which means that candidates have a better selection of opportunities to choose from.
The most popular, sought-after jobs have a few attributes in common: competitive salaries, clear opportunities for career advancement, consistent demand and a healthy work-life balance, according to new research from U.S. News and World Report.
On Tuesday, U.S. News and World Report released its ranking of the 100 best jobs in America for 2023, focusing on occupations with the largest projected growth between now and 2031 and ranking them by stress levels, median salary, unemployment rate, work-life balance and other factors.
Here are the 10 best U.S. jobs in 2023, according to U.S. News and World Report, along with the full list of the top 100 jobs here.
1. Software developer
Median salary: $120,730
Projected job growth by 2031: 370,600 positions
Education requirements: Bachelor's degree
2. Nurse practitioner
Median salary: $120,680
Projected job growth by 2031: 112,700 positions
Education requirements: Master's degree
3. Medical and health services manager
Median salary: $101,340
Projected job growth by 2031: 136,200 positions
Education requirements: Bachelor's degree
4. Physician assistant
Median salary: $121,530
Projected job growth by 2031: 38,400 positions
Education requirements: Master's degree
5. Information security analyst
Median salary: $102,600
Projected job growth by 2031: 56,500 positions
Education requirements: Bachelor's degree
6. Physical therapist
Median salary: $95,620
Projected job growth by 2031: 40,400 positions
Education requirements: Doctorate degree
7. Financial manager
Median salary: $131,710
Projected job growth by 2031: 123,100 positions
Education requirements: Bachelor's degree
8. IT Manager
Median salary: $159,010
Projected job growth by 2031: 82,400 positions
Education requirements: Bachelor's degree
9. Web developer
Median salary: $77,030
Projected job growth by 2031: 28,900 positions
Education requirements: Bachelor's degree
10. Dentist
Median salary: $160,370
Projected job growth by 2031: 7,700 positions
Education requirements: Doctorate degree
Despite — or because of — the challenges of the lingering Covid-19 pandemic, jobs in tech and health care dominate the 'best jobs' rankings.
Four jobs in the top 10 are in tech, even though thousands of workers in the tech industry have been laid off in mass job cuts over the past few months.
Software developer secured this year's No. 1 spot, moving up four places from last year. That's because the demand for software developers remains steady across all other sectors as both international and local companies require talent for their continued digital transformation.
"The job itself offers a competitive salary, low unemployment and tremendous growth opportunities," Janica Ingram, careers editor at U.S. News., tells CNBC Make It.
Software developers can work in a wide range of industries outside of the tech sector, she adds, including marketing, biotechnology, gaming and finance, among other sectors.
If you're hoping to land a new job this year, now is the time to apply, as economists expect a recession to hit in late 2023.
"Today is better than it's going to be six months from now," Andy Challenger, senior vice president at outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, recently told CNBC. "So I would try to make your moves as soon as possible."
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