Best jobs for 2022? Think COVID-19 and cyberattacks.
The two best jobs of 2022 are information security analyst and nurse practitioner, a sign of the growing threat of cyberattacks as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Indeed, health care-related roles accounted for fully 40% of the media outlet's list of top 100 jobs for 2022, also reflecting the surging demand for workers who can tend to America's aging population. Physician assistant ranked third, while medical and health services manager landed at No. 4.
U.S. News compiles its annual ranking by analyzing federal labor data to identify the jobs that are most in demand. Occupations are then scored based on how quickly they are growing over 10 years, median salary, employment rate, future job prospects, stress level and work-life balance.
"It is no surprise that health care occupations continue to dominate the Best Jobs general rankings. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly helped underscore the essential role they play in all of our lives," Antonio Barbera, consumer advice senior editor at U.S. News, said in a statement. "The low unemployment rates and strong future prospects for many of these roles certainly reflect that."
Of course, the bright career prospects for all manner of health care practitioners doesn't address the hardships many in the field are facing as the COVID-19 pandemic heads into a third year. Many hospitals report staff shortages as doctors, nurses, aides and others contract the virus and burned-out workers drop out of the profession.
The No. 1 ranked job of information security analyst reflects the growing need for personnel trained to safeguard an organization's computer systems amid the rise in recent years of ransomware and other cyberattacks on businesses, hospitals, schools, local governments and other entities. Other fast-growing tech industry jobs, U.S. News found: Software developer, data scientist, IT manager and computer systems analyst.
In a first for the ranking of the best 100 jobs, fashion designer landed at No. 32. Here are U.S. News' top 20 jobs for 2022:
- Information security analyst
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician assistant
- Medical and health services manager
- Software developer
- Data scientist
- Financial manager
- Statistician
- Lawyer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Physician
- Registered nurse
- IT manager
- Market research analyst
- Operations research analyst
- Respiratory therapist
- Management analyst
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
- Nurse anesthetist
- Actuary
Alain Sherter covers business and economic affairs for CBSNews.com.
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