After the initial shock to the job market in the early days of the pandemic, the U.S. unemployment rate began to recover, returning to pre-pandemic levels. As of April 2022, the unemployment rate was 3.6%, roughly in line with the rate throughout 2019 and early 2020.
As the job market recovered throughout 2021, there were a handful of professions that helped lower the unemployment rate. According to data from the Bureau of Labor statistics, there were dozens of career fields that had unemployment rates well below 2% in 2021.
To determine the jobs with the best job security, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on unemployment rate for over 500 detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey.
Most of the jobs with the best job security are in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields – particularly medical careers like pharmacists and nurse practitioners, as well as tech jobs like software developers and IT security analysts. These highly-specialized fields tend to pay well, mostly above the median annual wage across all jobs of $56,310. These are the 25 highest paying jobs in America.
Nearly all of the jobs with the best job security typically require at least some form of secondary education – anywhere from an associate’s degree to a doctorate degree. However, a handful of these positions generally do not require any education beyond a high school diploma. These are the highest paying jobs you can get without a college degree.
Click here to see the careers with the best job security
Click here to read our detailed methodology
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38. Security and fire alarm systems installers
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 73,000
> Median annual wage: $50,940
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +16.5%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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37. Postal service clerks
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 107,000
> Median annual wage: $50,150
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +-7.7%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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36. Public safety telecommunicators
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 89,000
> Median annual wage: $43,290
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +8.2%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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35. Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 79,000
> Median annual wage: $29,930
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +14.3%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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34. Medical records specialists
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 210,000
> Median annual wage: N/A
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: N/A
> Typical entry-level education requirement: N/A
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33. Paramedics
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 97,000
> Median annual wage: N/A
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: N/A
> Typical entry-level education requirement: N/A
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32. Clergy
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 410,000
> Median annual wage: $51,940
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +2.5%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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31. Surveying and mapping technicians
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 58,000
> Median annual wage: $46,200
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +3.8%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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30. Network and computer systems administrators
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 215,000
> Median annual wage: $84,810
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +5.4%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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29. Medical and health services managers
> Unemployment rate: 1.5%
> Labor force: 803,000
> Median annual wage: $104,280
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +32.5%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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28. Lawyers
> Unemployment rate: 1.4%
> Labor force: 1,100,000
> Median annual wage: $126,930
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +8.9%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
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27. Physician assistants
> Unemployment rate: 1.2%
> Labor force: 167,000
> Median annual wage: $115,390
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +31.0%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
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26. Pharmacists
> Unemployment rate: 1.2%
> Labor force: 356,000
> Median annual wage: $128,710
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +-2.1%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
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25. Chiropractors
> Unemployment rate: 1.2%
> Labor force: 60,000
> Median annual wage: $70,720
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +10.9%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
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24. Software developers
> Unemployment rate: 1.2%
> Labor force: 1,956,000
> Median annual wage: N/A
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: N/A
> Typical entry-level education requirement: N/A
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23. Financial and investment analysts
> Unemployment rate: 1.2%
> Labor force: 347,000
> Median annual wage: N/A
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: N/A
> Typical entry-level education requirement: N/A
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22. Database administrators and architects
> Unemployment rate: 1.1%
> Labor force: 112,000
> Median annual wage: $98,860
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +7.9%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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21. Firefighters
> Unemployment rate: 1.0%
> Labor force: 297,000
> Median annual wage: $52,500
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +8.5%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Postsecondary nondegree award
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20. Respiratory therapists
> Unemployment rate: 1.0%
> Labor force: 118,000
> Median annual wage: $62,810
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +23.0%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Associate’s degree
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19. Advertising and promotions managers
> Unemployment rate: 1.0%
> Labor force: 73,000
> Median annual wage: $133,460
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +10.3%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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18. Surgical technologists
> Unemployment rate: 0.9%
> Labor force: 114,000
> Median annual wage: $49,710
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +8.7%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Postsecondary nondegree award
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17. Child, family, and school social workers
> Unemployment rate: 0.9%
> Labor force: 55,000
> Median annual wage: $48,430
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +12.6%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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16. Training and development managers
> Unemployment rate: 0.9%
> Labor force: 55,000
> Median annual wage: $115,640
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +10.7%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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15. Information security analysts
> Unemployment rate: 0.8%
> Labor force: 153,000
> Median annual wage: $103,590
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +33.4%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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14. Physical therapists
> Unemployment rate: 0.7%
> Labor force: 275,000
> Median annual wage: $91,010
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +20.5%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
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13. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
> Unemployment rate: 0.7%
> Labor force: 108,000
> Median annual wage: $48,820
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +1.8%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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12. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists
> Unemployment rate: 0.7%
> Labor force: 67,000
> Median annual wage: $67,190
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +9.6%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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11. School psychologists
> Unemployment rate: 0.6%
> Labor force: 58,000
> Median annual wage: N/A
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: N/A
> Typical entry-level education requirement: N/A
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10. Correctional officers and jailers
> Unemployment rate: 0.5%
> Labor force: 299,000
> Median annual wage: $47,410
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +-7.2%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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9. Mental health counselors
> Unemployment rate: 0.5%
> Labor force: 213,000
> Median annual wage: N/A
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: N/A
> Typical entry-level education requirement: N/A
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8. Budget analysts
> Unemployment rate: 0.5%
> Labor force: 61,000
> Median annual wage: $78,970
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +4.8%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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7. Radiologic technologists and technicians
> Unemployment rate: 0.4%
> Labor force: 227,000
> Median annual wage: $61,900
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +8.6%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Associate’s degree
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6. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
> Unemployment rate: 0.4%
> Labor force: 61,000
> Median annual wage: $59,100
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +8.2%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Associate’s degree
Source: Ridofranz / iStock via Getty Images
5. Nurse practitioners
> Unemployment rate: 0.4%
> Labor force: 238,000
> Median annual wage: $111,680
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +52.2%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Master’s degree
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4. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
> Unemployment rate: 0.4%
> Labor force: 88,000
> Median annual wage: $55,690
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +3.8%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
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3. Detectives and criminal investigators
> Unemployment rate: 0.3%
> Labor force: 130,000
> Median annual wage: $86,940
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +2.5%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: High school diploma or equivalent
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2. Veterinarians
> Unemployment rate: 0.3%
> Labor force: 104,000
> Median annual wage: $99,250
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +16.7%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Doctoral or professional degree
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1. Religious activities and education directors
> Unemployment rate: 0.2%
> Labor force: 67,000
> Median annual wage: $45,110
> Projected employment change 2020-2030: +2.1%
> Typical entry-level education requirement: Bachelor’s degree
Methodology
To determine the jobs with the best job security, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on unemployment rate for over 500 detailed occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey. Detailed occupations were ranked based on the percentage of the labor force that was unemployed as of 2021. Unemployed members of an occupational labor force need to have been last employed in this occupation prior to unemployment. Only occupations whose labor forces were 50,000 or greater were considered. Broad occupation titles classified as “all other” were excluded from consideration.
Supplemental data on median annual wage came from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and are for 2020. Data on projected employment change from 2020 to 2030 and the typical education requirement for entry-level positions within the profession came from the BLS Employment Projections program.
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