As possible recession looms, these fields have best job security: report

(NEXSTAR) – Job security may not be what initially draws you to a career field – it’s hard to imagine a kid dreaming of being a “database administrator” when they grow up – but amid times of economic uncertainty, it can be a major plus.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2023 jobs report, which includes the careers analysts believe will be the most stable in what could be a turbulent economic year. To determine which jobs have the most security, analysts looked at unemployment rates, future job prospects, growth potential and employer satisfaction.

Not every career on the list requires an advanced (and increasingly expensive) college degree. Some of the jobs, like respiratory therapist, only require an associate’s degree.

Several career paths in medicine have been deemed especially secure by U.S. News & World Report’s analysis. The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic made an existing nursing and health care worker shortage even worse. A study published in the journal Health Affairs reported more than 100,000 nurses left the field in 2021. That number represents nearly 2% of nurses nationwide.

Jobs in medicine aren’t just secure, they’re also well compensated. According to the report, a medical and health services manager has a median salary of about $101,000. The highest paid job on the list is orthodontist, with a median salary topping $200,000.

See the 20 most secure jobs in 2023, according to U.S. News & World Report, below:

JobMedian SalaryEducation Required
Respiratory therapist$61,830Associate degree
Web developer$77,030Bachelor’s degree
Cardiovascular technologist$60,570Associate degree
Epidemiologist/medical scientist$78,830Master’s degree
Financial analyst$81,730Bachelor’s degree
Environmental science and protection technician$47,370Associate degree
School psychologist$78,780Master’s degree
Database administrator$96,710Bachelor’s degree
Registered nurse$77,600Bachelor’s degree
Medical and health services manager$101,340Bachelor’s degree
Landscaper and groundskeeper$34,430None
Veterinarian$100,370Doctoral or professional degree
Medical records technician$46,660Postsecondary non-degree award
Physical therapist$95,620Doctoral or professional degree
Information security analyst$102,600Bachelor’s degree
Orthodontist$208,000Doctoral or professional degree
Physician assistant$121,530Master’s degree
Dentist$160,370Doctoral or professional degree
Software developer$120,730Bachelor’s degree
Nurse practitioner $120,680Master’s degree

While sky-high inflation, weakened consumer spending and high interest rates have had economists predicting a recession in 2023, the job market remains strong. Plus, inflation has started to show signs it’s easing.

These trends are raising expectations that the Fed might manage to engineer an often-elusive “soft landing,” whereby the economy slows but doesn’t go into reverse and unemployment rate rises slightly but stays low. It would still mean painful times for many people. But it wouldn’t inflict the widespread unemployment that typically results from a recession.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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