We’re always striving for better health, and the people who hold some of the jobs on our 2021 Best Health Care Jobs list can help you breathe, eat, walk, speak, hear, move and see better. They can also help patients prevent disease, illness and injury, and diagnose, fight and treat illness.
Many of the highest-paying jobs are among the Best Health Care Jobs. Dentists, physician assistants, orthodontists and nurse practitioners are among the jobs on this list.
Here are the Best Health Care Jobs 2021
10.Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists assist those who are sick, injured or disabled with day-to-day activities, such as showing someone how to use a wheelchair or helping someone who had a stroke relearn how to cook, clean or get dressed.
These professionals might also work with kids in educational settings, people with mental illnesses or someone who was involved in a bad car accident.
- Projected Jobs: 22,700
- Median Salary: $84,950
- Education: Masters
9.Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
From repairing cleft lips and palates to taking care of impacted teeth, oral and maxillofacial surgeons operate specifically on the mouth, jaws, teeth, gums, neck and head
- Projected Jobs: 100
- Median Salary: $208,000
- Education: Doctorate
8.Anesthesiologist
from surgery to chronic illness, anesthesiologists manage all types of pain through drugs and even monitor patients’ vital signs
- Projected Jobs: 200
- Median Salary: $208,000
- Education: Doctorate
7.Orthodontist
Picture-perfect teeth often start with an orthodontist. Orthodontists focus primarily on the teeth and jaw, including realignment and preserving normal function and appearance.
- Projected Jobs: 200
- Median Salary: $208,000
- Education: Doctorate
6.Veterinarian
An average day as a veterinarian might include performing surgeries or setting broken bones for animals. One must-have skill is communication. Vets routinely interact with animal owners and support staff
- Projected Jobs: 200
- Median Salary: $208,000
- Education: Doctorate
5.Dentist
From filling cavities to whitening teeth, dentists primarily examine and treat issues involving the mouth, gums and teeth
- Projected Jobs: 3,700
- Median Salary: $155,600
- Education: Doctorate
4.Speech-Language Pathologist
Those in this profession work to diagnose and treat a variety of speech and language difficulties and can work in a number of settings
- Projected Jobs: 40,500
- Median Salary: $79,100
- Education: Doctorate
3.Physician
Physicians provide preventative care but also treat and diagnose a range of illnesses in their patients. Schooling and competition is intense for all types of doctors but the payoff is high
- Projected Jobs: 18,500
- Median Salary: $206,500
- Education: Doctorate
2.Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners perform a lot of the same duties as physicians; they perform physical exams, order lab tests and analyze results, prescribe medicines and authorize treatments.
These professionals usually have a specialty, such as adult and geriatric health, pediatric health or mental health
- Projected Jobs: 110,700
- Median Salary: $109,820
- Education: Masters
1.Physician Assistant
Physician Assistants work under doctors to care for the sick or injured by interpreting tests and conducting exams.
- Projected Jobs: 39,300
- Median Salary: $112,260
- Education: Masters
