5 Top Healthcare Jobs for 2025 (Highest Paying & Fastest Growing)

If you’re considering a career in healthcare, you may be wondering what top healthcare jobs are in highest demand for the future. Today, we’ll look into the highest paying and fastest growing careers in healthcare for you. Here’s a snapshot of the top 5 professions, with job details about what makes them so hot:

‍

‍

So let’s dive into the 5 top healthcare jobs for 2025 and beyond!

1. Nurse Practitioner

A nurse practitioner (NP) can serve as a primary care provider and perform many similar services as a doctor. They have master’s level education and can deliver advanced nursing care to their patients. They can also focus on various specialties including family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics and women’s health. NP services include:

• Recording patient histories;
• Conducting patient exams;
• Ordering and analyzing patient labs and imaging;
• Prescribing medications;
• Diagnosing and managing acute and chronic conditions;
• Authorizing treatment plans; and
• Educating patients and caregivers on ongoing care and making referrals.

‍

In the Bureau of Labor and Statistics most recent report, NPs ranked as number one for the fastest growing profession in America. The four factors driving NP demand are:

• Physician shortage and diminished access to care;
• Geriatric baby boomer population;
• Retiring baby boomer NPs; and
• Sharp rise in opioid use and patients needing mental care services.

‍

To become an NP, you must first get your registered nursing degree through an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) program. Then you must enroll in a master’s degree in nursing program (MSN) or a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program. In all this takes 6-8 years of education.

The rewards of becoming a NP are tremendous. Aside from being a top paying job in healthcare, you help patients everyday to learn ways to become more vigilant about how to safeguard their health. Plus, the career opportunities are enriching and patient access is more ample than for regular nurses.  

2. Physician Assistant

The second top paying healthcare job on the list. It is also the third fastest-growing top healthcare job is physician assistant (PA). PAs tend to patient histories, surgery assistance, physical exams, prescribe medications, and perform clinical research. They examine, treat and diagnose patients under a physician’s supervision. At the heart of physician assistant (PA) care, also known as physician’s associate, is team spirit. Their salary is the sixth most lucrative in the healthcare industry.

To become a PA, you need to obtain a master’s degree in PA studies from an accredited university. You also need to become licensed in the state in which you are practicing. The master’s program typically takes 2-3 years to complete. 

Becoming a PA is an attractive career because of the flexibility it gives you to work in numerous settings and among various disciplines. You’ll also enter the workforce faster than a physician might. Your access to patient care is also more complete than others in your healthcare team. Finally, PA salary is rather competitive compared to other healthcare professions. 

3. Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists (OT) treat patients with disabilities, conditions and illnesses to recover function so that they can perform daily life activities. By doing so, they promote independence in those they treat so that their quality of life is improved. They primarily help children with early intervention, geriatric adults with retaining their functional independence, and provide rehabilitative support for injured individuals. 

In order to become an occupational therapist, you need to gain a master’s in occupational therapy and be licensed in your state as a provider. A master’s degree typically requires 2.5 years to complete. 

In a recent study, OTs reported a high level of job satisfaction. Additionally, being an OT is one of the few careers where you have the benefit of treating individuals across their lifespan. Such long-term relationships build and foster deep bonds with your patients. You also have the flexibility to work in diverse settings and with many kinds of patients to suit your preferred interests. 

4. Nurse Anesthetist

A certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) is the most lucrative nursing track and most top paying healthcare job on our list. A nurse anesthetist provides pain medication, or anesthesia care, for their patients before, during and after the operation. They are responsible for the comfort of their patients while they are undergoing operative care by ensuring that they are pain-free. 

Historically, to become a CRNA, you need a master’s degree in nursing and a national certification. However, starting in 2025, you need a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) or doctor of nursing anesthesia practice (DNAP) doctoral degree. These degrees typically take three to five years of full-time study to complete.

5. Registered Nurse

Registered nurses (RNs) educate the public, their patients and families about health and wellbeing best practices. From providing acute to general treatment care, they attend to the injured, the ill and to those in need of healthcare support. 

RNs gather medical health histories, evaluate medical conditions, provide treatments and diagnostic exams, and partner with doctors and other healthcare providers to optimize patient care.  

This is the only educational path in the top 5 that simply requires an associate or bachelor’s degree or even an associate’s degree. As such, the onboarding is much more straightforward compared to other high-paying careers. 

Besides salary incentives, RNs enjoy a fulfilling career because they make a felt difference in their patients’ lives. Furthermore, there is a high demand for nurses nationwide among diverse nursing specialties. Such job flexibility opens doors to greater opportunities in your career. 

Ready to Uplevel Your Career with Achieve Test Prep?

If you’re considering taking your education to the next level, Achieve is ready to help. We provide credit by exam test preparation and nursing school exam prep for busy professionals like yourself. 

We offer TEAS, HESI PAX, KAPLAN, NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN exam preparation as well. Whether you're on your path from LPN to RN or BSN, RN to BSN, we’re here for you. Hear why our satisfied clients love us. Achieve is ready whenever you are.