The recently released U.S. News & World Report Best Jobs 2016 list ranks 100 of the best jobs. Physical therapist and occupational therapist/assistant are included among the top 25.
The list is compiled using data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to identify jobs with the greatest hiring demand. Then, the jobs are scored using seven component measures, including 10-year growth volume, 10-year growth percentage, median salary, employment rate, future job prospects, stress level, and work-life balance, explains a media release from U.S. News & World Report.
Per the list, healthcare-related jobs dominate. These professions include physical therapist (#14), occupational therapist (#23), occupational therapy assistant (#25), orthotist and prosthetist (#33), physical therapist assistant (#40), physical therapist aide (#52), occupational therapy aide (#59), and home health aide (#78).
Physical therapist and occupational therapist also appear on the “Best Health Care Jobs” list—at #12 and #17, respectively.
Among the “Health Care Support” list, occupational therapy assistant (#1), orthotist & prosthetist (#3), and physical therapist assistant (#4) appear in the top 5.
“Health care support occupations, for which demand is expected to grow as Baby Boomers age, are great opportunities for entry-level job seekers or those making a mid-career change,” says Susannah Snider, careers editor at U.S. News & World Report, in the release. “These positions offer robust job growth and relatively low-stress without requiring an expensive postgraduate degree.
Surprisingly, none of the above positions appear on the “Best Paying Jobs” list.
The BLS projects a 34% growth rate for the physical therapist profession, and a 27% growth rate for the occupational therapist profession, by 2024. With the occupational therapy assistant profession, the BLS predicts a 43% growth rate, according to the “Best Jobs 2016” list.
For more information, visit U.S. News & World Report Best Jobs 2016.
[Source(s): U.S. News & World Report, PR Newswire]
