The top 10 jobs in the US for 2026 — according to Indeed

As hiring slows across much of the US, a handful of jobs are standing out for their resilience.

Roles that rely on hands-on expertise and human connection are proving particularly durable, according to Indeed’s 2026 Best Jobs in the US list.

The rankings analyzed thousands of job postings nationwide to identify roles in which workers are most likely to both “get hired and thrive,” according to Indeed.

The job search platform analyzed thousands of job postings nationwide, evaluating jobs using key factors, including above-average pay, immediate demand, wage growth, hiring momentum and remote work flexibility.

Here are the 10 best jobs in the US for 2026, according to Indeed:

1. Cardiac medical tech

Estimated median annual salary: $133,907 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 224 Share of remote postings: 2% Wage growth (past 3 years): 34% Job postings growth (past 3 years): 34% Cardiac medical technician was ranked the top role in which workers are most likely to both “get hired and thrive.” Rawpixel.com – stock.adobe.com

2. Truck driver owner-operator

Estimated median annual salary: $160,000 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 7,529 Share of remote postings: 1% Wage growth (past 3 years): -5% Job postings growth (past 3 years): 39%

3. Nurse practitioner

Estimated median annual salary: $143,183 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 2,874 Share of remote postings: 10% Wage growth (past 3 years): 10% Job postings growth (past 3 years): -2% Speech-language pathologist ranked among the top five roles in which workers are most likely to get hired. Andrey Popov – stock.adobe.com

4. Speech language pathologist

Estimated median annual salary: $109,431 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 191 Share of remote postings: 8% Wage growth (past 3 years): 14% Job postings growth (past 3 years): 11%

5. Licensed professional counselor

Estimated median annual salary: $107,812 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 286 Share of remote postings: 32% Wage growth (past 3 years): 33% Job postings growth (past 3 years): -17%

6. Licensed clinical social worker

Estimated median annual salary: $119,618 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 1,016 Share of remote postings: 32% Wage growth (past 3 years): 20% Job postings growth (past 3 years): -32% The rankings were based on an analysis of thousands of job postings nationwide, identifying roles where workers are most likely to be hired and succeed. Oulaphone – stock.adobe.com

7. Physical therapist

Estimated median annual salary: $110,848 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 6,299 Share of remote postings: 2% Wage growth (past 3 years): 8% Job postings growth (past 3 years) 0%

8. Occupational therapist

Estimated median annual salary: $105,580 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 4,147 Share of remote postings: 3% Wage growth (past 3 years): 6% Job postings growth (past 3 years): 13%

9. Radiation therapist

Estimated median annual salary: $115,923 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 239 Share of remote postings: 3% Wage growth (past 3 years): 26% Job postings growth (past 3 years): 8%

10. Data scientist

Estimated median annual salary: $115,079 Share of job postings per 1 million on Indeed: 958 Share of remote postings: 35% Wage growth (past 3 years): -3% Job postings growth (past 3 years): 15% The rankings were based on thousands of job postings analyzed for pay, demand, wage growth, hiring momentum, and remote work flexibility. keetazalay – stock.adobe.com

Healthcare jobs overwhelmingly dominated the full list, which also includes roles such as sign language interpreter, HVAC technician, attorney, software engineer, field engineer, project manager, business analyst, electrical foreman and more.

“The labor market overall has been in this low-hire, stagnant space for the last year,” Laura Ullrich, North America research director for the Indeed Hiring Lab, said in a statement.

“One major exception is healthcare. Only 11% of total jobs are in healthcare, but it represents 72% of the job growth [in the broader job market].” 

The ranking comes as the US labor market shows signs of cooling.

The Labor Department reported that employers added 50,000 jobs in December.

That figure was cooler than the expectations of economists polled by LSEG, who projected 60,000 jobs would be added for the month.